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FIVE  LITTLE  PEPPERS 
AND  How  THEY  GREW 


BY 

MARGARET    SIDNEY    ' 

Author  of  "Old  Concord,"  "Our  Town,"  "Rob,' 
"An  Adirondack  Cabin,"  and  others. 


LOTHROP   PUBLISHING    COMPANY 

BOSTON 


COPYRIGHT,  1881, 
BY 

D.    LOTHROP   AND   COMPANY 


All  rights  reserved. 


TZ 

7 


7ST/J&- 


TO    THE    MEMORY    OF 

MY  MOTHER; 

wise  in  counsel  — tender  in  judgment,  and  in  all  charity 
strengthful  in  Christian  faith 

and  purpose  — 
I  dedicate,  with  reverence,  this  simple  book. 


661681 


CONTENTS, 


CHAP.  PAGE. 

1.  A  Home  View      .                                   .           .  7 

2.  Making  Happiness  tor  Mamsie  .            .  19 
8.  Mamsie' s  Birthday          .  37 

4.  Trouble  for  the  Little  Brown  House    .            .  48 

5.  More  Trouble        .  .69 

6.  Hard  Days  for  Polly        ....  85 

7.  The  Cloud  over  the  Little  Brown  House          .  103 

8.  Joel's  Turn          .  110 

9.  Sunshine  Again    .....  117 

10.  A  Threatened  Biow         .                        .           .  134 

11.  Safe   ....                         .  143 

12.  New  Friends 147 

13.  Phronsie  pays  a  Debt  of  Gratitude        .  171 

14.  A  Letter  to  Jasper  .  .177 

15.  Jolly  Days 195 


6  Contents. 

16.  Getting  a  Christmas  for  the  Little  Ones  .  210 

17.  Christmas  Bells 235 

18.  Education  Ahead    .....  253 

19.  Brave  Work,  and  the  Reward    ...  275 

20.  Polly  is  Comforted          ....  281 

21.  Phronsie      ...  .  .  .  293 

22.  Getting  Ready  for  Mamsie  and  the  Boys          .  313 

23  Which  Treats  of  a  Good  Many  Matters  .  341 

24  Polly's  Dismal  Morning  .  .  370 

25  Polly's  Big  Bundle 380 


FIVE  LITTLE  PEPPERS  ;    AND  HOW  THEY 
GREW. 

.       CHAPTER:. 

A    HOME    VIEW. 

HE  little  old 
kitchen  had 
quieted  down 
from  the  bustle 
*  I  .  and  confusion 

of  m  i  d-d  a  y  ; 
and  now,  with 
its  afternoon 

*£•  •;••.*  -,   manners      on, 

<X .  ;       presenteda 

Ifjf&gj'  -  A          holiday  aspect, 

."  (i  ItJIpyr  that     as      the 

1    -;    ;-rT.-  principal  room 

in    the   brown 

house,  it  was  eminently  proper  it  should  have.     It 

was  just  on  the  edge  of  the  twilight ;  and  the  little 

7 


8  Five  Little  Peppers  ; 

Peppers,  all  except  Ben,  the  oldest  of  the  flock, 
were  enjoying  a  "breathing  spell,"  as  their  mother 
called  it,  which  meant  some  quiet  work  suitable  for 
the  hour.  All  the  "  breathing  spell  "  they  could 
remember  however,  poor  things ;  for  times  were 
always  hard  with  them  nowadays;  and  since  the 
father  died,  when  Phronsie  was  a  baby,  Mrs.  Pepper 
had  had  hard  work  to  scrape  together  money  enough 
to  put  bread  into  her  children's  mouths,  and  to  pay 
the  rent  of  the  little  brown  house. 

But  she  had  met  life  too  bravely  to  be  beaten  down 
now.     So  with  a  stout  heart  and  a  cheery  face,  she 

A '• 

had  worked  away  day  after  day  at  making  coats,  and 
^  tailoring  and  mending  of  all  descriptions;  and  she 
had  seen  with  pride  that  couldn't  be  concealed,  her 
noisy,  happy  brood  growing  up  around  her,  and  filling 
her  heart  with  comfort,  and  making  the  little  brown 
house  fairly  ring  with  jollity  and  fun. 

"Poor  things!"  she  would  say  to  herself,  "they 
I  haven't  had  any  bringing  up;  they've  just  scrambled 
up!"  And  then  she  would  set  her  lips  together 
tightly,  and  fly  at  her  work  faster  than  ever.  "  I 
must  get  schooling  for  them  some  way,  but  I  don't 
see  how !  " 

Once  or  twice  she  had  thought,  "  Now  the  time  is 
coming  !"    but  it  never  did  :    for  winter  shut  in  very 


And  How  They  Grew.  9 

cold,  and  it  took  so  much  more  to  feed  and  warm 
them,  that  the  money  went  faster  than  ever.  And 
then,  when  the  way  seemed  clear  again,  the  store 
changed  hands,  so  that  for  a  long  time  she  failed  to 
get  her  usual  supply  of  sacks  and  coats  to  make ;  and 
that  made  sad  havoc  in  the  quarters  and  half-dollars 

laid  up  as  her  nest  egg.  But "Well,  it'll  come 

some  time,"  she  would  say  to  herself;  "because  it 
must !  "  And  so  at  it  again  she  would  fly,  brisker 
than  ever. 

"To  help  mother,"  was  the  great  ambition  of  all 
the  children,  older  and  younger ;  but  in  Polly's  and 
Ben's  souls,  the  desire  grew  so  overwhelmingly  great 
as  to  absorb  all  lesser  thoughts.  Many  and  vast  were 
their  secret  plans,  by  which  they  were  to  astonish  her 
at  some  future  day,  which  they  would  only  confide  — 
as  they  did  everything  else  —  to  one  another.  For 
this  brother  and  sister  were  everything  to  each  other, 
and  stood  loyally  together  through  "thick  and  thin."  . 

Polly  was  ten,  and  Ben  one  year  older;  and  the 
younger  three  of  the  "  Five  Little  Peppers,"  as  they 
were  always  called,  looked  up  to  them  with  the  in- 
tensest  admiration  and  love.  What  they  failed  to  do, 
couldn't  very  well  be  done  by  any  one ! 

"  Oh  dear ! "  exclaimed  Polly  as  she  sat  over  in  the 
corner  by  the  window  helping  her  mother  pull  out 


io  Five  Little  Peppers; 

basting  threads  from  a  coat  she  had  just  finished, 
and  giving  an  impatient  twitch  to  the  sleeve,  "  I  do 
wish  we  could  ever  have  any  light — just  as  much  as 
we  want ! " 

"  You  don't  need  any  light  to  see  these  threads," 
said  Mrs.  Pepper,  winding  up  hers  carefully,  as  she 
spoke,  on  an  old  spool.  "Take  care,  Polly,  you 
broke  that ;  thread's  dear  now." 

"  I  couldn't  help  it,"  said  Polly,  vexedly ;  "  it 
snapped ;  everything's  dear  now,  it  seems  to  me !  I 
wish  we  could  have  —  oh!  ever  an'  ever  so  many 
candles;  as  many  as  we  wanted.  I'd  light  'em  all,  so 
there  !  and  have  it  light  here  one  night,  anyway ! " 

"  Yes,  and  go  dark  all  the  rest  of  the  year,  like  as 
anyway,"  observed  Mrs.  Pepper,  stopping  to  untie  a 
knot.  "  Folks  who  do  so  never  have  any  candles," 
she  added,  sententiously. 

"How  many'd  you  have,  Polly?"  asked  Joel, 
curiously,  laying  down  his  hammer,  and  regarding 
her  with  the  utmost  anxiety. 

"  Oh,  two  hundred !  "  said  Polly,  decidedly.  "  I'd 
have  two  hundred,  all  in  a  row !  " 

"Two  hundred  candles!"  echoed  Joel,  in  amaze- 
ment. "  My  whockety !  what  a  lot !  " 

"  Don't  say  such  dreadful  words,  Joel,"  put  in 
Polly,  nervously,  stopping  to  pick  up  her  spool  of 


And  How  They  Greu>.  u 

basting  thread  that  was  racing  away  all  by  itself; 
"'tisn't  nice." 

"  'Tisn't  worse  than  to  wish  you'd  got  things  you 
haven't,"  retorted  Joel.  "I  don't  believe  you'd  light 
'em  all  at  once,"  he  added,  incredulously. 

"Yes,  I  would  too!"  replied  Polly,  recklessly; 
"  two  hundred  of  'em,  if  I  had  a  chance ;  all  at  once, 
so  there,  Joey  Pepper  !  " 

"Oh,"  said  little  Davie,  drawing  a  long  sigh. 
"  Why,  'twould  be  just  like  heaven,  Polly !  but 
wouldn't  it  cost  money,  though  !  " 

"  I  don't  care,"  said  Polly,  giving  a  flounce  in  her 
chair,  which  snapped  another  thread  ;  "  oh  dear  me  ! 
I  didn't  mean  to,  mammy  ;  well,  I  wouldn't  care  how 
much  money  it  cost,  we'd  have  as  much  light  as  we 
wanted,  for  once  ;  so  ! " 

"  Mercy  !  "  said  Mrs.  Pepper,  "  you'd  have  the 
house  afire !  Two  hundred  candles !  who  ever  heard 
of  such  a  thing  ! " 

"  Would  they  burn  ?  "  asked  Phronsie,  anxiously, 
getting  up  from  the  floor  where  she  was  crouching 
with  David,  overseeing  Joel  nail  on  the  cover  of  an 
old  box  ;  and  going  to  Polly's  side  she  awaited  her 
answer  patiently. 

"  Burn  ?  "  said  Polly.  "  There,  that's  done  now, 
mamsie  dear!"  And  she  put  the  coat,  with  a  last 


12  Five  Little  Peppers  ; 

little  pat,  into  her  mother's  lap.  "  I  guess  they 
would,  Phronsie  pet."  And  Polly  caught  up  the 
little  girl,  and  spun  round  and  round  the  old  kitchen 
till  they  were  both  glad  to  stop.  ^ 

"  Then,"  said  Phronsie,  as  Polly  put  her  down, 
and  stood  breathless  after  her  last  glorious  spin,  "  I 
do  so  wish  we  might,  Polly;  oh,  just  this  very  one 
minute ! " 

And  Phronsie  clasped  her  fat  little  hands  in 
rapture  at  the  thought. 

"Well,"  said  Polly,  giving  a  look  up  at  the  old 
clock  in  the  corner;  "deary  me!  it's  half-past  five; 
and  most  time  for  Ben  to  come  home  ! " 

Away  she  flew  to  get  supper.  So  for  the  next  few 
moments  nothing  was  heard  but  the  pulling  out  of 
the  old  table  into  the  middle  of  the  floor,  the  laying 
the  cloth,  and  all  the  other  bustle  attendant  upon  the 
being  ready  for  Ben.  Polly  went  skipping  around, 
cutting  the  bread,  and  bringing  dishes;  only  stop- 
ping long  enough  to  fling  some  scraps  of  reassuring 
nonsense  to  the  two  boys,  who  were  thoroughly  dis- 
mayed at  being  obliged  to  remove  their  traps  into 
a  corner. 

Phronsie  still  stood  just  where  Polly  left  her.  Two 
hundred  candles!  oh  !  what  could  it  mean  !  She  gazed 
up  to  the  old  beams  overhead,  and  around  the  dingy 


And  How  They  Grew.  13 

walls,  and  to  the  old  black  stove,  with  the  fire  nearly 
out,  and  then  over  everything  the  kitchen  contained, 
trying  to  think  how  it  would  seem.  To  have  it 
bright  and  winsome  and  warm!  to  suit  Polly  — 
" oh!"  she  screamed. 

"  Goodness  !  "  said  Polly,  taking  her  head  out  of 
the  old  cupboard  in  the  corner,  "how  you  scared  me, 
Phronsie  ! " 

"Would  they  ever  go  out? "  asked  the  child  gravely, 
still  standing  where  Polly  left  her. 

"What?"  asked  Polly,  stopping  with  a  dish  of 
cold  potatoes  in  her  hand.  "What,  Phronsie?" 

"  Why,  the  candles,"  said  the  child,  "  the  ever-an'- 
ever  so  many  pretty  lights  !" 

"  Oh,  my  senses  ! "  cried  Polly,  with  a  little  laugh, 
"haven't  you  forgotten  that!  Yes  —  no,  that  is, 
Phronsie,  if  we  could  have  'em  at  all,  we  wouldn't 
ever  let  'em  go  out !  " 

"Not  once?"  asked  Phronsie,  coming  up  to  Polly 
with  a  little  skip,  and  nearly  upsetting  her,  potatoes 
and  all  —  "not  once,  Polly,  truly?" 

"  No,  not  forever-an'-ever,"  said  Polly ;  "  take  care, 
Phronsie  !  there  goes  a  potato;  no,  we'd  keep  'em 
always  !  " 

"No,  you  don't  want  to,"  said  Mrs.  Pepper,  coming 
out  of  the  bedroom  in  time  to  catch  the  last  words ; 


14  Five  Little  Peppers  ; 

"  they  won't  be  good  to-morrow ;  better  have  them 
to-night,  Polly." 

"  Ma'am ! "  said  Polly,  setting  down  her  potato- 
dish  on  the  table,  and  staring  at  her  mother  with  all 
her  might —  "  have  what,  mother  ?  " 

"Why,  the  potatoes,  to  be  sure,"  replied  Mrs.  Pep- 
per; "didn't  you  say  you  better  keep  them,  child  ?  " 

"'Twasn't  potatoes  —  at  all,"  said  Polly,  with  a 
little  gasp;  "'twas  —  dear  me !  here's  Ben!"  For 
the  door  opened,  and  Phronsie,  with  a  scream  of 
delight,  bounded  into  Ben's  arms. 

"  It's  just  jolly,"  said  Ben,  coming  in,  his  chubby 
face  all  aglow,  and  his  big  blue  eyes  shining  so  hon- 
est and  true  ;  "  it's  just  jolly  to  get  home  !  supper 
ready,  Polly?" 

"Yes,"  said  Polly;  "that  is  —  all  but  —  "  and  she 
dashed  off  for  Phronsie's  eating  apron. 

"  Sometime,"  said  Phronsie,  with  her  mouth  half 
full,  when  the  meal  was  nearly  over,  "  we're  going  to 
be  awful  rich  ;  we  are,  Ben,  truly  !  " 

"No?"  said  Ben,  affecting  the  most  hearty  aston- 
ishment ;  "you  don't  say  so,  Chick  !  " 

"  Yes,"  said  Phronsie,  shaking  her  yellow  head  very 
wisely  at  him,  and  diving  down  into  her  cup  of  very 
weak  milk  and  water  to  see  if  Polly  had  put  any 
sugar  in  by  mistake  —  a  proceeding  always  expect- 


And  How  2 hey  Grew.  15 

antly  observed.  "  Yes,  we  are  really,  Bensie,  very 
dreadful  rich  !  " 

"  I  wish  we  could  be  rich  now,  then,"  said  Ben,  tak- 
ing another  generous  slice  of  the  brown  bread  ;  "  in 
time  for  mamsie's  birthday,"  and  he  cast  a  sorrowful 
glance  at  Polly. 

"I  know,"  said  Polly;  "oh  dear!  if  we  only  could 
celebrate  it!  " 

"  I  don't  want  any  other  celebration,"  said  Mrs. 
Pepper,  beaming  on  them  so  that  a  little  flash  of 
sunshine  seemed  to  hop  right  down  on  the  table, 
"  than  to  look  round  on  you  all ;  I'm  rich  now,  and 
that's  a  fact !  " 

"Mamsie  don't  mind  her  five  bothers,"  cried  Polly, 
jumping  up  and  running  to  hug  her  mother ;  thereby 
producing  a  like  desire  in  all  the  others,  who  immedi- 
ately left  their  seats  and  followed  her  example. 

"Mother's  rich  enough,"  ejaculated  Mrs.  Pepper; 
her  bright,  black  eyes  glistening  with  delight,  as  the 
noisy  troop  filed  back  to  their  bread  and  potatoes  ; 
"  if  we  can  only  keep  together,  dears,  and  grow  up 
good,  so  that  the  little  brown  house  won't  be  ashamed 
of  us,  that's  all  I  ask." 

"Well,"  said  Polly,  in  a  burst  of  confidence  to 
Ben,  after  the  table  had  been  pushed  back  against 
the  wall,  the  dishes  nicely  washed,  wiped,  and  set  up 


1 6  Five  Little  Peppers; 

neatly  in  the  cupboard,  and  all  traces  of  the  meal 
cleared  away ;  "  I  don't  care  ;  let's  try  and  get  a 
celebration,  somehow,  for  mamsie  !  " 

"  How  are  you  going  to  do  it  ?  "  asked  Ben,  who 
was  of  a  decidedly  practical  turn  of  mind,  and  thus 
couldn't  always  follow  Polly  in  her  flights  of  imagi- 
nation. 

"  I  don't  know,"  said  Polly ;  "  but  we  must  some 
way." 

"Phoh  !  that's  no  good,"  said  Ben,  disdainfully  ; 
then  seeing  Polly's  face,  he  added  kindly  :  "  let's 
think,  though  ;  and  perhaps  there'll  be  some  way." 

"  Oh,  I  know,"  cried  Polly,  in  delight ;  "  I  know 
the  very  thing,  Ben  !  let's  make  her  a  cake  ;  a  big 
one,  you  know,  and  "  — 

"She'll  see  you  bake  it,"  said  Ben;  "or  else  she'll 
smell  it,  and  that'd  be  just  as  bad." 

"  No,  she  won't  either,"  replied  Polly.  "  Don't 
you  know  she's  going  to  help  Mrs.  Henderson  to- 
morrow ;  so  there  ! " 

"  So  she  is,"  said  Ben  ;  "  good  for  you,  Polly,  you 
always  think  of  everything !  " 

"  And  then,"  said  Polly,  with  a  comfortable  little 
feeling  at  her  heart  at  Ben's  praise,  "  why,  we  can 
have  it  all  out  of  the  way  splendidly,  you  know,  when 
she  comes  home  —  and  besides,  Grandma  Bascom  '11 


And  How  They  Grew.  17 

tell  me  how.     You  know  we've  only  got  brown  flour, 
Ben  ;  I  mean  to  go  right  over  and  ask  her  now." 
"  Oh,  no,  you  mustn't,"  cried  Ben,  catching  hold 


^  •*":-"~  1 


PHRONSIE  THINKS   SHE   WANTS   TO   GO   TO    BED. 

of  her  arm  as  she  was  preparing  to  fly  off.  "  Mam- 
my'll  find  it  out ;  better  wait  till  to-morrow ;  and 
besides  Polly  —  "  And  Ben  stopped,  unwilling  to 
dampen  this  propitious  beginning.  "  The  stove'll 
act  like  everything,  to-morrow!  I  know  'twill;  then 
what'll  you  do  !  " 

"  It  sha'n't!"  said  Polly,  running  up  to  look  it  in 
the  face ;  "  if  it  does,  I'll  shake  it ;  the  mean  old 
thing ! " 

The  idea  of  Polly's  shaking  the  lumbering  old 
black  affair,  sent  Ben  into  such  a  peal  of  laughter 
that  it  brought  all  the  other  children  running  to  (he 
spot ;  and  nothing  would  do  but  they  must  one  and  all, 


1 8  Five  Little  Peppers; 

be  told  the  reason.  So  Polly  and  Ben  took  them  into 
confidence,  which  so  elated  them  that  half  an  hour 
after,  when  long  past  her  bedtime,  Phronsie  declared, 
"  I'm  not  going  to  bed !  I  want  to  sit  up  like  Polly!" 

"  Don't  tease  her,"  whispered  Polly  to  Ben,  who 
thought  she  ought  to  go ;  so  she  sat  straight  up  on  her 
little  stool,  winking  like  everything  to  keep  awake. 

At  last,  as  Polly  was  in  the  midst  of  one  of  her 
liveliest  sallies,  over  tumbled  Phronsie,  a  sleepy 
little  heap,  upon  the  floor. 

"  I  want  —  to  go  —  to  bed  !  "  she  said  ;  "  take  me 
—  Polly !  " 

"  I  thought  so,"  laughed  Polly,  and  bundled  her 
off  into  the  bedroom. 


And  How  They  Grew.  19 


CHAPTER   II. 

MAKING    HAPPINESS    FOR    MAMSIE. 

AND  so,  the  minute  her  mother  had  departed  for 
the  minister's  house  next  morning,  and  Ben 
had  gone  to  his  day's  work,  chopping  wood  for  Dea- 
con Blodgett,  Polly  assembled  her  force  around  the 
old  stove,  and  proceeded  to  business.  She  and  the 
children  had  been  up  betimes  that  morning  to  get 
through  with  the  work ;  and  now,  as  they  glanced 
around  with  a  look  of  pride  on  the  neatly  swept 
floor,  the  dishes  all  done,  and  everything  in  jrder, 
the  moment  their  mother's  back  was  turned  they  be- 
gan to  implore  Polly  to  hurry  and  begin. 

"  It's  most  'leven  o'clock,"  said  Joel,  who,  having 
no  work  to  do  outside,  that  day,  was  prancing  around, 
wild  to  help  along  the  festivities ;  "  it's  most  'leven 
o'clock,  Polly  Pepper !  you  won't  have  it  done." 


20  Five  Little  Peppers; 

"  Oh,  no ;  'tisn't  either,  Joe ; "  said  Polly,  with  a  very 
flushed  face,  and  her  arms  full  of  kindlings,  glancing 
up  at  the  old  clock  as  she  spoke  ;  "  'tisn't  but  quarter 
of  nine;  there,  take  care,  Phronsie!  you  can't  lift  off 
the  cover  ;  do  help  her,  Davie." 

"  No  ;  let  me  !  "  cried  Joel,  springing  forward  ; 
"  it's  my  turn  ;  Dave  got  the  shingles ;  it's  my  turn, 
Polly." 

"  So  'tis,"  said  Polly ;  "  I  i9rgot ;  there,"  as  she 
flung  in  the  wood,  and  poked  it  all  up  in  a  nice  little 
heap  coaxingly.  "It  can't  help  but  burn;  what  a 
cake  we'll  have  for  mamsie  ! " 

"It'll  be  so  big,"  cried  Phronsie,  hopping  around 
on  one  set  of  toes,  "  that  mamsie  won't  know  what 
to  do,  will  she",  Polly  ? " 

"  No,  I  don't  believe  she  will,"  said  Polly,  gayly, 
stuffing  in  more  wood;  "Oh,  dear !  there  goes  Ben's 
putty  ;  it's  all  come  out !  " 

"  So  it  has,"  said  Joel,  going  around  back  of  the 
stove  to  explore ;  and  then  he  added  cheerfully,  "it's 
bigger'n  ever;  oh!  it's  an  awful  big  hole,  Polly!" 

"Now,  whatever  shall  we  do!  "  said  Polly,  in  great 
distress ;  "  that  hateful  old  crack  !  and  Ben's  clear 
off  to  Deacon  Blodgett's  !  " 

"  I'll  run  and  get  him,"  cried  Joel,  briskly ;  "  I'll 
bring  him  right  home  in  ten  minutes." 


And  How   2'hey  Grew.  •        21 

"Oh,  no,  you  must  not,  Joe,"  cried  Polly  in  alarm; 
"  it  wouldn't  ever  be  right  to  take  him  off  from  his 
work  ;  mamsie  wouldn't  like  it." 

"What  will  you  do,  then  ? "  asked  Joel,  pausing  on 
his  way  to  the  door. 

"  I'm  sure  I  don't  know,"  said  Polly,  getting  down 
on  her  knees  to  examine  the  crack ;  "  I  shall  have 
to  stuff  it  with  paper,  I  s'pose." 

"  'Twon't  stay  in,"  said  Joel,  scornfully ;  "  don't 
you  know  you  stuffed  it  before,  last  week  ? " 

"  I  know,"  said  Polly,  with  a  small  sigh  ;  and  sit- 
ting down  on  the  floor,  she  remained  quite  still  for 
a  minute,  with  her  two  black  hands  thrust  out  straight 
before  her. 

"  Can't  you  fix  it  ? "  asked  Davie,  soberly,  coming 
up  ;  "  then  we  can't  have  the  cake." 

"  Dear  me  ! "  exclaimed  Polly,  springing  up 
quickly  ;  "  don't  be  afraid  ;  we're  going  to  have  that 
cake  !  There,  you  ugly  old  thing,  you  ! "  (this  to 
the  stove)  "  see  what  you've  done  !  "  as  two  big  tears 
flew  out  of  Phronsie's  brown  eyes  at  the  direful 
prospect ;  and  the  sorrowful  faces  of  the  two  boys 
looked  up  into  Polly's  own,  for  comfort.  "  I  can  fix 
it,  I  most  know ;  do  get  some  paper,  Joe,  as  quick 
as  you  can." 

"  Don't   know   where    there    is    any,"    said   Joel, 


22  Five  Little  Peppers; 

rummaging  around ;  "  it's  all  tore  up  ;  'xcept  the 
almanac;  can't  I  take  that?" 

"Oh  dear,  no !  "  cried  Polly  ;  "  put  it  right  back, 
Joe ;  I  guess  there's  some  in  the  wood-shed." 

"  There  isn't  either,"  said  little  Davie,  quickly  ; 
"  Joel  and  I  took  it  to  make  kites  with." 

"  Oh  dear,"  groaned  Polly ;  "  I  don't  know  what 
we  sftattdo;  unless,"  as  a  bright  thought  struck  her, 
"  you  let  me  have  the  kites,  boys." 

"  Can't,"  said  Joel ;  "  they're  all  flew  away  ;  and 
torn  up." 

"  Well,  now,  children,"  said  Polly,  turning  round 
impressively  upon  them,  the  effect  of  which  was 
heightened  by  the  extremely  crocky  appearance  she 
had  gained  in  her  explorations,  "  we  must  have  some 
paper,  or  something  to  stop  up  that  old  hole  with  — 
some  way,  there  !  " 

"  I  know,"  said  little  Davie,  "  where  we'll  get  it  ; 
it's  upstairs;"  and  without  another  word  he  flew  out 
of  the  room,  and  in  another  minute  he  put  into  Polly's 
hand  an  old  leather  boot-top,  one  of  his  most  treas- 
ured possessions.  "You  can  chip  it,"  he  said,  "  real 
fine,  and  then  'twill  go  in." 

"  So  we  can,"  said  Polly ;  "  and  you're  a  real  good 
boy,  Davie,  to  give  it ;  that's  a  splendid  present  to 
help  celebrate  for  mamsie  !  " 


And  How  They  Grew.  23 

"  I'd  a-given  a  boot-top,"  said  Joel,  looking  grimly 
at  the  precious  bit  of  leather  which  Polly  was  rapidly 
stripping  into  little  bits,  "  if  I'd  a-hed  it ;  I  don't 
have  anything  !  " 

"  I  know  you  would,  Joey,"  said  Polly,  kindly  ; 
"there  now,  you'll  stay,  I  guess  !"  as  with  the  united 
efforts  of  the  two  boys,  cheered  on  by  Phronsie's 
enthusiastic  little  crow  of  delight,  the  leather  was 
crowded  into  place,  and  the  fire  began  to  burn. 

"Now,  boys,"  said  Polly,  getting  up,  and  drawing 
a  long  breath,  "  I'm  going  over  to  Grandma  Bas- 
com's  to  get  her  to  tell  me  how  to  make  the  cake  ; 
and  you  must  stay  and  keep  house." 

"  I'm  going  to  nail,"  said  Joel ;  "  I've  got  lots  to 
do." 

"  All  right,"  said  Polly,  tying  on  her  hood  ; 
"  Phronsie'll  love  to  watch  you ;  I  won't  be  gone 
long,"  and  she  was  off. 

"Grandma  Bascom,"  wasn't  really  the  children's 
grandmother;  only  everybody  in  the  village  called 
her  so  by  courtesy.  Her  cottage  was  over  across  the 
lane,  and  just  a  bit  around  the  corner;  and  Polly 
flew  along  and  up  to  the  door,  fully  knowing  that  now 
she  would  be  helped  out  of  her  difficulty.  She  didn't 
stop  to  knock,  as  the  old  lady  was  so  deaf  she  knew 
she  wouldn't  hear  her,  but  opened  the  door  and 


24  Five  Little  Peppers  ; 

walked  in.  Grandma  was  sweeping  up  the  floor, 
already  as  neat  as  a  pin  ;  when  she  saw  Polly  com- 
ing, she  stopped,  and  leaned  on  her  broom. 

"  How's  your  ma  ? "  she  asked,  when  Polly  had 
said  "good  morning,"  and  then  hesitated. 

"Oh,  mammy's  pretty  well,"  shouted  Polly  into  the 
old  lady's  ear ;  "  and  to-morrow's  her  birthday !  " 

"  To-morrow'll  be  a  bad  day !  "  said  grandma. 
"Oh,  don't  never  say  that.  You  mustn't  borrow 
trouble,  child." 

"  I  didn't,"  said  Polly  ;  "  I  mean  —  it's  her  birth- 
day, grandma !  "  this  last  so  loud  that  grandma's 
cap-border  vibrated  preceptibly. 

"The  land's  sakes  'tis!"  cried  Mrs.  Bascom,  de- 
lightedly ;  "  you  don't  say  so  !  " 

"  Yes,"  said  Polly,  skipping  around  the  old  lady, 
and  giving  her  a  small  hug  ;  "  and  we're  going  to 
give  her  a  surprise." 

"What  is  the  matter  with  her  eyes?"  asked  grand- 
ma, sharply,  turning  around  and  facing  her  ;  "she's 
been  a-sewin'  too  stiddy,  hain't  she  ?  " 

"A  surprise!"  shouted  Polly,  standing  upon  tip- 
toe, to  bring  her  mouth  on  a  level  with  the  old  lady's 
ear ;  "  a  cake,  grandma,  a  big  one  !  " 

"A  cake!"  exclaimed  grandma,  dropping  the 
broom  to  settle  her  cap,  which  Polly  in  her  extreme 


And  How  They  Grew.  25 

endeavors  to  carry  on  the  conversation,  had  knocked 
slightly  awry;  "well,  that'll  be  fine." 

"  Yes,"  said  Polly,  picking  up  the  broom,  and 
flinging  off  her  hood  at  the  same  time  ;  "  and,  oh  ! 
won't  you  please  tell  me  how  to  make  it,  grandma  ! " 

"To  be  sure;  to  be  sure;"  cried  the  old  lady, 
delighted  beyond  measure  to  give  advice;  "I've  got 
splendid  receets ;  I'll  go  get  'em  right  off,"  and  she 
ambled  to  the  door  of  the  pantry. 

"  And  I'll  finish  sweeping  up,"  said  Polly,  which 
grandma  didn't  hear;  so  she  took  up  the  broom,  and 
sent  it  energetically,  and  merrily  flying  away  to  the 
tune  of  her  own  happy  thoughts. 

"Yes,  they're  right  in  here,"  said  grandma,  wad- 
dling back  with  an  old  tin  teapot  in  her  hand;  — 
"goodness,  child!  what  a  dust  you've  kicked  up! 
that  ain't  the  way  to  sweep."  And  she  took  the 
broom  out  of  Polly's  hand,  who  stood  quite  still  in 
mortification. 

"  There,"  she  said,  drawing  it  mildly  over  the 
few  bits  she  could  scrape  together,  and  gently 
coaxing  them  into  a  little  heap;  "that's  the  way; 
and  then  they  don't  go  all  over  the  room." 

"I'm  sorry,"  began  poor  Polly. 

"  'Tain't  any  matter,"  said  Mrs.  Bascom  kindly, 
catching  sight  of  Polly's  discomfited  face;  " 'tain't 


2  6  Five  Little  Peppers  ; 

a  mite  of  matter ;  you'll  sweep  better  next  time ;  now 
let's  go  to  the  cake ;  "  and  putting  the  broom  into 
the  corner,  she  waddled  back  again  to  the  table, 
followed  by  Polly,  and  proceeded  to  turn  out  the 
contents  of  the  teapot,  in  search  of  just  the  right 
"  receet." 

But  the  right  one  didn't  seem  to  appear ;  not  even 
after  the  teapot  was  turned  upside  down  and  shaken 
by  both  grandma's  and  Polly's  anxious  hands.  Every 
other  "receet"  seemed  to  tumble  out  gladly,  and 
stare  them  in  the  face  —  little  dingy  rolls  of  yellow 
paper,  with  an  ancient  odor  of  spice  still  clinging 
to  them ;  but  all  efforts  to  find  this  particular  one 
failed  utterly. 

"Won't  some  other  one  do?  "  asked  Polly,  in  the 
interval  of  fruitless  searching,  when  grandma  be- 
wailed and  lamented,  and  wondered,  "  where  I  could 
a  put  it !  " 

"  No,  no,  child,"  answered  the  old  lady ;  "  now, 
where  do  you  s'pose  'tis  ! "  and  she  clapped  both 
hands  to  her  head,  to  see  if  she  could  possibly  re- 
member ;  "no,  no,  child,"  she  repeated.  "Why, 
they  had  it  down  to  my  niece  Mirandy's  weddin'  — 
'twas  just  elegant  !  light  as  a  feather ;  and  'twan't 
rich  either,"  she  added  ;  "  no  eggs,  nor  "  — 

"  Oh,  I  couldn't  have  eggs  ;  "  cried  Polly,  in  amaze- 


And  Hoiv  They   Grew.  27 

ment  at   the  thought   of  such  luxury ;  "  and   we've 
only  brown  flour,  grandma,  you  know." 

"Well,  you  can  make  it  of  brown,"  said  Mrs.  Bas- 
com,  kindly ;  "  when  the  raisins  is  in  'twill  look 
quite  nice." 

"  Oh,  we  haven't  any  raisins,"  answered  Polly. 

"Haven't  any  raisins  !  "  echoed  grandma,  looking 
at  her  over  her  spectacles ;  "  what  are  you  goin'  to 
put  in?  " 

"Oh  —  cinnamon,"  said  Polly,  briskly;  "we've 
got  plenty  of  that,  and  —  it'll  be  good,  I  guess, 
grandma!"  she  finished,  anxiously;  "anyway,  we 
must  have  a  cake ;  there  isn't  any  other  way  to 
celebrate  mamsie's  birthday." 

"Well,  now,"  said  grandma,  bustling  around;  "I 
shouldn't  be  surprised  if  you  had  real  good  luck, 
Polly.  And  your  ma'll  set  ever  so  much  by  it; 
now,  if  we  only  could  find  that  receet !  "  and  return- 
ing to  the  charge  she  commenced  to  fumble  among 
her  bits  of  paper  again ;  "  I  never  shall  forget  how 
they  eat  on  it;  why,  there  wasn't  a  crumb  left, 
Polly  ! " 

Oh,  dear,"  said  Polly,  to  whom  "  Mirandy's  wed- 
ding cake  "  now  became  the  height  of  her  desires ; 
"  if  you  only  can  find  it !  can't  I  climb  up  and  look 
on  the  pantry  shelves  ?" 


28  Five  Little  Peppers; 

"  Maybe  'tis  there,"  said  Mrs.  Bascom,  slowly ; 
"  you  might  try ;  sometimes  I  do  put  things  away, 
so's  to  have  'em  safe." 

So  Polly  got  an  old  wooden  chair,  according  to 
direction,  and  then  mounted  up  on  it,  with  grandma 
below  to  direct,  she  handed  down  bowl  after  bowl, 
interspersed  at  the  right  intervals  with  cracked  tea- 
cups and  handleless  pitchers.  But  at  the  end  of 
these  explorations,  "  Mirandy's  wedding  cake  "  was 
further  off  than  ever. 

"  'Tain't  a  mite  o'  use,"  at  last  said  the  old  lady, 
sinking  down  in  despair,  while  Polly  perched  on  the 
top  of  the  chair  and  looked  at  her ;  "  I  must  a-give 
it  away." 

"  Can't  I  have  the  next  best  one,  then  ?  "  asked 
Polly,  despairingly,  feeling  sure  that  "  Mirandy's 
wedding  cake"  would  have  celebrated  the  day  just 
right ;  "  and  I  must  hurry  right  home,  please,"  she 
added,  getting  down  from  the  chair,  and  tying  on 
her  hood ;  "  or  Phronsie  won't  know  what  to  do." 

So  another  "  receet "  was  looked  over,  and  selected ; 
and  with  many  charges,  and  bits  of  advice  not  to  let 
the  oven  get  too  hot,  etc.,  etc.,  Polly  took  the  pre- 
cious bit  in  her  hand,  and  flew  over  home. 

"Now,  we've  got  to  — "  she  began,  bounding  in 
merrily,  with  dancing  eyes ;  but  her  delight  had  a 


And  Hoiu  They  Grew.  29 

sudden  stop,  as  she  brought  up  so  suddenly  at  the 
sight  within,  that  she  couldn't  utter  another  word. 
Phronsie  was  crouching,  a  miserable  little  heap  of 
woe,  in  one  corner  of  the  mother's  big  calico-covered 
rocking-chair,  and  crying  bitterly,  while  Joel  hung 
over  her  in  the  utmost  concern. 

"  What's  the  matter  ? "  gasped  Polly.  Flinging  the 
"  receet "  on  the  table,  she  rushed  up  to  the  old  chair 
and  was  down  on  her  knees  before  it,  her  arms 
around  the  little  figure.  Phronsie  turned,  and  threw 
herself  into  Polly's  protecting  arms,  who  gathered 
her  up,  and  sitting  down  in  the  depths  of  the  chair, 
comforted  her  as  only  she  could. 

"  What  is  it  ? "  she  asked  of  Joel,  who  was  ner- 
vously begging  Phronsie  not  to  cry  ;  "  now,  tell  me 
all  that's  happened." 

"I  was  a-nailing,"  began  Joel ;  "oh  dear!  don't 
cry,  Phronsie  !  do  stop  her,  Polly." 

"  Go  on"  said  Polly,  hoarsely. 

"  I  was  a-nailing,"  began  Joel,  slowly ;  "  and  —  and 
—  Davie's  gone  to  get  the  peppermint,"  he  added, 
brightening  up. 

"  Tell  me,  Joe,"  said  Polly,  "all  that's  been  going 
on,"  and  she  looked  sternly  into  his  face;  "or  I'll 
get  Davie  to,"  as  little  Davie  came  running  back,  with 
a  bottle  of  castor  oil,  which  in  his  flurry  he  had  mis- 


30  Five  Little  Peppers; 

taken  for  peppermint.  This  he  presented  with  a 
flourish  to  Polly,  who  was  too  excited  to  see  it. 

"Oh,  no!"  cried  Joel,  in  intense  alarm;  "Davie 
isn't  going  to  !  I'll  tell,  Polly  ;  I  will  truly." 

"  Go  on,  then,"  said  Polly ;  "  tell  at  once  ;  "  (feeling 
as  if  somebody  didn't  tell  pretty  quick,  she  should 
tumble  over.) 

"Well,"  said  Joel,  gathering  himself  up  with  a 
fresh  effort,  "the  old  hammer  was  a-shaking  and 
Phronsie  stuck  her  foot  in  the  way  —  and  —  I  couldn't 
help  it,  Polly  —  no,  I  just  couldn't,  Polly." 

Quick  as  a  flash,  Polly  tore  off  the  little  old  shoe, 
and  well-worn  stocking,  and  brought  to  light  Phron- 
sie's  fat  little  foot.  Tenderly  taking  hold  of  the 
white  toes,  the  boys  clustering  around  in  the  greatest 
anxiety,  she  worked  them  back  and  forth,  and  up  and 
down.  "  Nothing's  broken,"  she  said  at  last,  and 
drew  a  long  breath. 

"It's  there,"  said  Phronsie,  through  a  rain  of  tears; 
"and  it  hurts,  Polly;"  and  she  began  to  wiggle  the 
big  toe,  where  around  the  nail  was  settling  a  small 
black  spot. 

"  Poor  little  toe,"  began  Polly,  cuddling  up  the 
suffering  foot.  Just  then,  a  small  and  peculiar  noise 
struck  her  ear;  and  looking  up  she  saw  Joel,  with  a 
very  distorted  face,  making  violent  efforts  to  keep 


And  How  They  Grew.  31 

from  bursting  out  into  a  loud  cry.  All  his  attempts, 
however,  failed ;  and  he  flung  himself  into  Polly's  lap 
in  a  perfect  torrent  of  tears.  "I  didn't — mean  to 
—  Polly,"  he  cried ;  "  'twas  the  —  ugly,  old  hammer  ! 
oh  dear  !  " 

"There,  there,  Joey,  dear,"  said  Polly,  gathering 
him  up  in  the  other  corner  of  the  old  chair,  close  to 
her  side  ;  "  don't  feel  bad  ;  I  know  you  didn't  mean 
to,"  and  she  dropped  a  kiss  on  his  stubby  black 
hair. 

When  Phronsie  saw  that  anybody  else  could  cry, 
she  stopped  immediately,  and  leaning  over  Polly, 
put  one  little  fat  hand  on  Joel's  neck.  "  Don't  cry," 
she  said  ;  "  does  your  toe  ache  ? " 

At  this,  Joel  screamed  louder  than  ever  ;  and  Polly 
was  at  her  wit's  end  to  know  what  to  do  ;  for  the  boy's 
heart  was  almost  broken.  That  he  should  have  hurt 
Phronsie !  the  baby,  the  pet  of  the  whole  house, 
upon  whom  all  their  hearts  centered  —  it  was  too 
much.  So  for  the  next  few  moments,  Polly  had  all 
she  could  do  by  way  of  comforting  and  consoling 
him.  Just  as  she  had  succeeded,  the  door  opened, 
and  Grandma  Bascom  walked  in. 

"  Settin'  down  ?  "  said  she  ;  "  I  hope  your  cake 
ain't  in,  Polly,"  looking  anxiously  at  the  stove,  "  for 
I've  found  it ;  "  and  she  waved  a  small  piece  of  paper 


32  Five  Little  Peppers; 

triumphantly  towards  the  rocking-chair  as  she  spoke. 

"  Do  tell  her,"  said  Polly  to  little  David,  "  what's 
happened;  for  I  can't  get  up." 

So  little  Davie  went  up  to  the  old  lady,  and  stand- 
ing on  tiptoe,  screamed  into  her  ear  all  the  particu- 
lars he  could  think  of,  concerning  the  accident  that 
had  just  happened. 

"  Hey  ?  "  said  grandma,  in  a  perfect  bewilderment; 
"what's  he  a-sayin',  Polly  —  I  can't  make  it  out." 

"You'll  have  to  go  all  over  it  again,  David,"  said 
Polly,  despairingly;  "she  didn't  hear  one  word,  I 
don't  believe." 

So  David  tried  again  ;  this  time  with  better  suc- 
cess. And  then  he  got  down  from  his  tiptoes,  and 
escorted  grandma  to  Phronsie,  in  flushed  triumph. 

"  Land  alive !  "  said  the  old  lady,  sitting  down  in 
the  chair  which  he  brought  her  ;  "you  got  pounded, 
did  you?"  looking  at  Phronsie,  as  she  took  the  little 
foot  in  her  ample  hand. 

"Yes'm,"  said  Polly,  quickly ;  " 'twasn't  anyone's 
fault ;  what'll  we  do  for  it,  grandma  ?  " 

"Wormwood,"  said  the  old  lady,  adjusting  her 
spectacles  in  extreme  deliberation,  and  then  exam- 
ining the  little  black  and  blue  spot,  which  was  spread- 
ing rapidly,  "is  the  very  best  thing;  and  I've  got 
some  to  home  —  you  run  right  over,"  she  said,  turn- 


And  How  They  Grew.  33 

ing  round  on  David,  quickly,  " an'  get  it;  it's  a-hang- 
in'  by  the  chimbley." 

"  Let  me  ;  let  me  !  "  cried  Joel,  springing  out  of 
the  old  chair,  so  suddenly  that  grandma's  spectacles 
nearly  dropped  off  in  fright ;  "  oh  !  I  want  to  do  it 
for  Phronsie ! " 

"Yes,  let  Joel,  please,"  put  in  Polly  ;  "he'll  find 
it,  grandma." 

So  Joel  departed  with  great  speed ;  and  presently 
returned,  with  a  bunch  of  dry  herbs,  which  dangled 
comfortingly  by  his  side,  as  he  came  in. 

"Now  I'll  fix  it,"  said  Mrs.  Bascom,  getting  up  and 
taking  off  her  shawl ;  "  there's  a  few  raisins  for  you, 
Polly ;  I  don't  want  'em,  and  they'll  make  your  cake 
go  better,"  and  she  placed  a  little  parcel  on  the  table 
as  she  spoke.  "  Yes,  I'll  put  it  to  steep  ;  an'  after 
it's  put  on  real  strong,  and  tied  up  in  an  old  cloth, 
Phronsie  won't  know  as  she's  got  any  toes ! "  and 
grandma  broke  up  a  generous  supply  of  the  herb,  and 
put  it  into  an  old  tin  cup,  which  she  covered  up  with 
a  saucer,  and  placed  on  the  stove. 

"Oh!"  said  Polly;  "I  can't  thank  you!  for  the 
raisins  and  all  — you're  so  good !  " 

"They're  awful  hard,"  said  Joel,  investigating  into 
the  bundle  with  Davie,  which,  however,  luckily  the 
old  lady  didn't  hear. 


34  Five  Little  Peppers; 

"  There,  don't  try,"  she  said  cheerily ;  "  an'  I  found 
cousin  Mirandy's  weddin'  cake  receet,  for  —  " 

"Did  you?"  cried  Polly;  "oh!  I'm  so  glad!" 
feeling  as  if  that  were  comfort  enough  for  a  good  deal. 

"Yes,  'twas  in  my  Bible,"  said  Mrs.  Bascom  ;  "  I 
remember  now  ;  I  put  it  there  to  be  ready  to  give 
John's  folks  when  they  come  in  ;  they  wanted  it ;  so 
you'll  go  all  straight  now ;  and  I  must  get  home,  for 
I  left  some  meat  a-boilin'."  So  grandma  put  on 
her  shawl,  and  waddled  off,  leaving  a  great  deal  of 
comfort  behind  her. 

"Now,  says  I,"  said  Polly  to  Phronsie,  when  the 
little  foot  was  snugly  tied  up  in  the  wet  wormwood, 
"you've  got  to  have  on  one  of  mamsie's  old  slippers." 

"  Oh,  ho,"  laughed  Phronsie ;  "  won't  that  be  funny, 
Polly ! " 

"  I  should  think  it  would,"  laughed  Polly,  back 
again,  pulling  on  the  big  cloth  slipper,  which  Joel 
produced  from  the  bedroom,  the  two  boys  joining 
uproariously,  as  the  old  black  thing  flapped  dismally 
up  and  down,  and  showed  strong  symptoms  of  flying 
off.  "  We  shall  have  to  tie  it  on." 

"  It  looks  like  a  pudding  bag,"  said  Joel,  as  Polly 
tied  it  securely  through  the  middle  with  a  bit  of 
twine  ;  "an  old  black  pudding  bag  !"  he  finished. 

"Old  black  pudding  bag!"  echoed  Phronsie,  with 


Ami  How  They  Grew. 


35 


a  merry  little  crow ;  and  then  all  of  a  sudden  she 
grew  very  sober,  and  looked  intently  at  the  foot 
thrust  out  straight  before  her,  as  she  still  sat  in  the 
chair. 

"  What  is  it,  Phronsie  ? "    asked  Polly,  who  was 


"IT   LOOKS   LIKE   A   PUDDING   BAG." 

bustling  around,  making  preparations  for  the  cake- 
making. 

"  Can  I  ever  wear  my  new  shoes  again  ?,"  asked 
the  child,  gravely,  looking  dismally  at  the  black 
bundle  before  her. 


36  Five  Little  Peppers; 

"  Oh,  yes ;  my  goodness,  yes  !  "  cried  Polly  ;  "  as 
quick  again  as  ever;  you'll  be  around  again  as  smart 
as  a  cricket  in  a  week  —  see  if  you  aren't !  " 

"  Will  it  go  on  ?  "  asked  Phronsie,  still  looking 
incredulously  at  the  bundle,  "  and  button  up  ? " 

"  Yes,  indeed  ! "  cried  Polly,  again  ;  "  button  into 
every  one  of  the  little  holes,  Phronsie  Pepper;  just 
as  elegant  as  ever  ! " 

"  Oh !  "  said  Phronsie  ;  and  then  she  gave  a  sigh 
of  relief,  and  thought  no  more  of  it,  because  Polly 
had  said  that  all  would  be  right. 


And  How  T/iey  Grew.  37 


CHAPTER   III. 

MAMSIE'S  BIRTHDAY. 

RUN  down  and  get  the  cinnamon,  will  you, 
Joey  ?  "  said  Polly  ;  "it's  in  the  '  Provision 
Room.'  " 

The  "  Provision  Room  "  was  a  little  shed  that  was 
tacked  on  to  the  main  house,  and  reached  by  a  short 
flight  of  rickety  steps  ;  so  called,  because  as  Polly 
said,  "'twas  a  good  place  to  keep  provisions  in,  even 
if  we  haven't  any  ;  and  besides,"  she  always  finished, 
"  it  sounds  nice  !  " 

"  Come  on,  Dave  !  then  we'll  get  something  to  eat !'' 

So  the  cinnamon  was  handed  up,  and  then  Joel 
flew  back  to  Davie. 

And  now,  Polly's  cake  was  done,  and  ready  for  the 
oven.  With  many  admiring  glances  from  herself, 


38  Five  Little  Peppers; 

and  Phronsie,  who  with  Seraphina,  an  extremely  old 
but  greatly  revered  doll,  tightly  hugged  in  her  arms 
was  watching  everything  with  the  biggest  of  eyes  from 
the  depths  of  the  old  chair,  it  was  placed  in  the  oven, 
the  door  shut  to  with  a  happy  little  bang,  and  then 
Polly  gathered  Phronsie  up  in  her  arms,  and  sat  down 
in  the  chair  to  have  a  good  time  with  her  and  to 
watch  the  process  of  cooking. 

There  was  a  bumping  noise  that  came  from  the 
"  Provision  Room  "  that  sounded  ominous,  and  then 
a  smothered  sound  of  words,  followed  by  a  scuffling 
over  the  old  floor. 

"Boys!"  called  Polly.  No  answer;  everything 
was  just  as  still  as  a  mouse.  "Joel  and  Darid .'" 
called  Polly  again,  in  her  loudest  tones. 

"  Yes,"  came  up  the  crooked  stairs,  in  Davie's  voice. 

"  Come  up  here,  right  away !  "  went  back  again 
from  Polly.  So  up  the  stairs  trudged  the  two  boys, 
and  presented  themselves  rather  sheepishly  before 
the  big  chair. 

"What  was  that  noise?"  she  asked;  "  what  have 
you  been  doing  ? " 

"  'Twasn't  anything  but  the  pail,"  answered  Joel, 
not  looking  at  her. 

"We  had  something  to  eat,"  said  Davie,  by  way  of 
explanation  ;  "you  always  let  us." 


And  Hmv   They  Greit>.  39 

"I  know,"  said  Polly;  "that's  right,  you  can  have 
as  much  bread  as  you  want  to  ;  but  what  you  been 
doing  with  the  pail  ?  " 

"  Nothing,"  said  Joel ;  "  'twouldn't  hang  up,  that's 
all." 

"And  you've  been  bumping  it,"  said  Polly;  "oh! 
Joel,  how  could  you  !  You  might  have  broken  it ; 
then  what  would  mamsie  say  ? " 

"I  didn't,"  said  Joel,  stoutly,  with  his  hands  in  his 
pockets,  "bump  it  worse'n  Davie,  so  there  !  " 

"  Why,  Davie,"  said  Polly,  turning  to  him  sorrow- 
fully, "  I  shouldn't  have  thought  ymi  would  !  " 

"Well,  I'm  tired  of  hanging  it  up,"  said  little 
Davie,  vehemently ;  "  and  I  said  I  wasn't  a-goin' 
to;  Joel  always  makes  me;  I've  done  it  for  two 
million  times,  I  guess  ! " 

"Oh,  dear,"  said  Polly,  sinking  back  into  the 
chair,  "  I  don't  know  what  I  ever  shall  do ;  here's 
Phronsie  hurt ;  and  we  want  to  celebrate  to-morrow ; 
and  you  two  boys  are  bumping  and  banging  out  the 
bread  pail,  and  "  — 

"  Oh !  we  won't ! "  cried  both  of  the  children, 
perfectly  overwhelmed  with  remorse;  "we'll  hang  it 
right  up." 

"I'll  hang  it,"  said  Davie,  clattering  off  down  the 
stairs  with  a  will. 


40  Five  Little  Peppers  ; 

"  No,  /  will ! "  shouted  Joel,  going  after  him  at 
double  pace  ;  and  presently  both  came  up  with 
shining  faces,  and  reported  it  nicely  done. 

"And  now,"  said  Polly,  after  they  had  all  sat 
around  the  stove  another  half-hour,  watching  and 
sniffing  expectantly,  "  the  cake's  done  !  —  dear  me  ! 
it's  turning  black  !  " 

And  quickly  as  possible  Polly  twitched  it  out  with 
energy,  and  set  it  on  the  table. 

Oh,  dear;  of  all  things  in  the  world!  The  beau- 
tiful cake  over  which  so  many  hopes  had  been 
formed,  that  was  to  have  given  so  much  happiness 
on  the  morrow  to  the  dear,  mother,  presented  a  for- 
lorn appearance  as  it  stood  there  in  anything  but 
holiday  attire.  It  was  quite  black  on  the  top,  in  the 
center  of  which  was  a  depressing  little  dump,  as  if 
to  say,  "  My  feelings  wouldn't  allow  me  to  rise  to 
the  occasion." 

"  Now,"  said  Polly,  turning  away  with  a  little  fling, 
and  looking  at  the  stove,  "  I  hope  you're  satisfied, 
you  old  thing;  you've  spoiled  our  mamsie's  birth- 
day ! "  and  without  a  bit  of  warning,  she  sat  right 
down  in  the  middle  of  the  floor  and  began  to  cry  as 
hard  as  she  could. 

"  Well,  I  never !  "  said  a  cheery  voice,  that  made 
the  children  skip. 


And  How  They   Grew<  41 

"It's  Mrs.  Beebe;  oh,  it's  Mrs.  Beebe!"  cried 
Davie ;  "  see,  Polly." 

Polly  scrambled  up  to  her  feet,  ashamed  to  be 
caught  thus,  and  whisked  away  the  tears ;  the  others 
explaining  to  their  new  visitor  the  sad  disappoint- 
ment that  had  befallen  them  ;  and  she  was  soon 
oh-ing,  and  ah-ing  enough  to  suit  even  their  distressed 
little  souls. 

"  You  poor  creeters,  you  !  "  she  exclaimed  at  last, 
for  about  the  fiftieth  time.  "  Here,  Polly,  here's 
some  posies  for  you,  and  "  — 

"  Oh,  thank  you  !  "  cried  Polly,  with  a  radiant  face, 
"  why,  Mrs.  Beebe,  we  can  put  them  in  here,  can't 
we  ?  the  very  thing !  " 

And  she  set  the  little  knot  of  flowers  in  the  hollow 
of  the  cake,  and  there  they  stood  and  nodded  away 
to  the  delighted  children,  like  brave  little  comforters, 
as  they  were. 

"The  very  thing!"  echoed  Mrs.  Beebe,  tickled  to 
death  to  see  their  delight;  "it  looks  beautiful,  I 
declare !  and  now,  I  must  run  right  along,  or  pa'll 
be  worrying ; "  and  so  the  good  woman  trotted  out 
to  her  waiting  husband,  who  was  impatient  to  be  off. 
Mr.  Beebe  kept  a  little  shoe  shop  in  town ;  and 
always  being  of  the  impression  if  he  left  it  for 
ten  minutes  that  crowds  of  customers  would  visit  it. 


42  Five  Little  Peppers  ; 

He  was  the   most  restless  of  companions  on  any 
pleasure  excursion. 

"And  Phronsie's  got  hurt,"  said  Mrs.  Beebe,  telling 


• 


w 


THE   FLOWERS    MAKE   IT   ALL   RIGHT. 

him  the  news,  as  he  finished  tucking  her  up,  and 
started  the  old  horse. 

"  Ho  ?  you  don't  say  so  !  "  he  cried  ;  "whoaJ" 


And  How  They  Grew.  43 

"  Dear  me  !  "  said  Mrs.  Beebe  ;  "  how  you  scat 
me,  pa !  what's  the  matter  ? " 

"  What  ?  —  the  little  girl  that  bought  the  shoes  ?  " 
asked  her  husband. 

"  Yes,"  replied  his  wife,  "  she's  hurt  her  foot." 

"  Sho,  now,"  said  the  old  gentleman  ;  "  that's  too 
bad,"  and  he  began  to  feel  in  all  his  pockets  indus- 
triously; "there,  can  you  get  out  again,  and  take 
her  that  ?  "  and  he  laid  a  small  piece  of  peppermint 
candy,  thick  and  white,  in  his  wife's  lap. 

"  Oh,  yes,"  cried  Mrs.  Beebe,  good-naturedly,  be- 
ginning to  clamber  over  the  wheel. 

So  the  candy  was  handed  in  to  Phronsie,  who  in- 
sisted that'  Polly  should  hold  her  up  to  the  window 
to  thank  Mr.  Beebe.  So  amid  nods,  and  shakings 
of  hands,  the  Beebes  drove  off,  and  quiet  settled 
down  over  the  little  brown  house  again. 

"  Now,  children,"  said  Polly,  after  Phronsie  had 
made  them  take  a  bite  of  her  candy  all  around,  "let's 
get  the  cake  put  away  safe,  for  mamsie  may  come 
home  early." 

"Where'll  you  put  it?"  asked  Joel,  wishing  the 
world  was  all  peppermint  candy. 

"Oh  —  in  the  cupboard,"  said  Polly,  taking  it  up; 
'there,  Joe,  you  can  climb  up,  and  put  it  clear  back 
n  the  corner,  oh !  wait ;  I  must  take  the  posies  off, 


44  Five  Little  Peppers  ; 

and  keep  them  fresh  in  water ; "  so  the  cake  was 
finally  deposited  in  a  place  of  safety,  followed  by  the 
eyes  of  all  the  children. 

"  Now,"  safd  Polly,  as  they  shut  the  door  tight, 
"  don't  you  go  to  looking  at  the  cupboard,  Joey,  or 
mammy'll  guess  something." 

"  Can't  I  just  open  it  a  little  crack,  and  take  one 
smell  when  she  isn't  looking?"  asked  Joel;  "I 
should  think  you  might,  Polly;  just  one" 

"  No,"  said  Polly,  firmly ;  "  not  one,  Joe  ;  she'll 
guess  if  you  do." 

But  Mrs.  Pepper  was  so  utterly  engrossed  with  her 
baby  when  she  came  home  and  heard  the  account  of 
the  accident,  that  she  wouldn't  have  guessed  if  there'd 
been  a  dozen  cakes  in  the  cupboard.  Joel  was  con- 
soled, as  his  mother  assured  him  in  a  satisfactory 
way  that  she  never  should  think  of  blaming  him  ; 
and  Phronsie  was  comforted  and  coddled  to  her 
heart's  content.  And  so  the  evening  passed  rapidly 
and  happily  away ;  Ben  smuggling  Phronsie  off  into 
a  corner,  where  she  told  him  all  the  doings  of  the 
day  —  the  disappointment  of  the  cake,  and  how  it 
was  finally  crowned  with  flowers ;  all  of  which 
Phronsie,  with  no  small  pride  in  being  the  narrator, 
related  gravely  to  her  absorbed  listener.  "  And  don't 
you  think,  Bensie,"  she  said,  clasping  her  little  hand 


And  How  They  Grew.  45 

in  a  convincing  way  over  his  two  bigger,  stronger 
ones,  "  that  Polly's  stove  was  very  naughty  to  make 
poor  Polly  cry  ?  "  * 

"Yes,  I  do,"  said  Ben,  and  he  shut  his  lips  tightly 
together.  To  have  Polly  cry,  hurt  him  more  than  he 
cared  to  have  Phronsie  see. 

"  What  are  you  staring  at,  Joe  ? "  asked  Polly,  a 
few  minutes  later,  as  her  eyes  fell  upon  Joel,  who 
sat  with  his  back  to  the  cupboard,  persistently  gaz- 
ing at  the  opposite  wall. 

"  Why,  you  told  me  yourself  not  to  look  at  the 
cupboard,"  said  Joel,  in  the  loudest  of  stage  whispers. 

"  Dear  me ;  that'll  make  mammy  suspect  worse'n 
anything  else  if  you  look  like  that,"  said  Polly. 

"  What  did  you  say  about  the  cupboard  ?  "  asked 
Mrs.  Pepper,  who  caught  Joe's  last  word. 

"  We  can't  tell,"  said  Phronsie,"  shaking  her  head 
at  her  mother ;  "  'cause  there's  a  ca  "  — 

"  Ugh  /"  and  Polly  clapped  her  hand  on  the 
child's  mouth ;  "  don't  you  want  Ben  to  tell  us  a 
story  ? " 

"  Oh,  yes  !  "  cried  little  Phronsie,  in  which  all  the 
others  joined  with  a  whoop  of  delight ;  so  a  most 
wonderful  story,  drawn  up  in  Ben's  best  style,  fol- 
lowed till  bed-time. 

The  first  thing  Polly  did  in  the  morning,  was  to 


46  Five  Little  Peppers; 

run  to  the  old  cupboard,  followed  by  all  the  others, 
to  see  if  the  cake  was  safe  ;  and  then  it  had  to  be 
drawn  out,  and  dressed  anew  with  the  flowers,  for 
they  had  decided  to  have  it  on  the  breakfast  table. 

"  It  looks  better,"  whispered  Polly  to  Ben,  "  than 
it  did  yesterday ;  and  aren't  the  flowers  pretty  ?  " 

"  It  looks  good  enough  to  eat,  anyway,"  said  Ben, 
smacking  his  lips. 

"Well,  we  tried,"  said  Polly,  stifling  a  sigh;  "now, 
boys,  .call  mamsie  ;  everything's  ready." 

Oh  !  how  surprised  their  mother  appeared  when 
she  was  ushered  out  to  the  feast,  and  the  full  glory 
of  the  table  burst  upon  her.  Her  delight  in  the 
cake  was  fully  enough  to  satisfy  the  most  exacting 
mind.  She  admired  and  admired  it  on  every  side, 
protesting  that  she  shouldn't  have  supposed  Polly 
could  possibly  have  baked  it  as  good  in  the  old 
stove  ;  and  then  she  cut  it,  and  gave  a  piece  to 
every  child,  with  a  little  posy  on  top.  Wasn't  it 
good,  though  !  for  like  many  other  things,  the  cake 
proved  better  on  trial  than  it  looked,  and  so  turned 
out  to  be  really  quite  a  good  surprise  all  around. 

"  Why  can't  I  ever  have  a  birthday  ?  "  asked  Joel, 
finishing  the  last  crumb  of  his  piece  ;  "  I  should 
think  I  might,"  he  added,  reflectively. 

"  Why,  you  have,  Joe,"  said  Ben  ;  "  eight  of  'em." 


.  And  How  They  Grew.  47 

"What  a  story !"  ejaculated  Joel;  "when  did  I 
have  'em  ?  I  never  had  a  cake  ;  did  I,  Polly  ?  " 

"Not  a  cake-birthday,  Joel,"  said  his  mother; 
"  you  haven't  got  to  that  yet." 

"  When's  it  coming  ? "  asked  Joel,  who  was  de- 
cidedly of  a  matter-of-fact  turn  of  mind. 

"I  don't  know,"  said  Mrs.  Pepper,  laughing;  "but 
there's  plenty  of  time  ahead." 


48  Five  Little  Peppers; 


CHAPTER  IV. 

TROUBLE   FOR   THE   LITTLE   BROWN   HOUSE. 

OH,  I  do  wish,"  said  Joel,  a  few  mornings  after, 
pushing  back  his  chair  and  looking  discon- 
tentedly at  his  bowl  of  mush  and  molasses,  "that  we 
could  ever  have  something  new  besides  this  everlast- 
ing old  breakfast !  Why  can't  we,  mammy  ?  " 

"  Better  be  glad  you've  got  that,  Joe,"  said  Mrs. 
Pepper,  taking  another  cold  potato,  and  sprinkling 
on  a  little  salt ;  "  folks  shouldn't  complain  so  long 
as  they've  anything  to  eat." 

"  But  I'm  so  tired  of  it  —  same  old  thing ! "  growled 
Joel ;  "  seems  as  if  I  sh'd  turn  into  a  meal-bag  or  a 
molasses  jug ! " 

"Well,  hand  it  over,  then,"  proposed  Ben,  who 
was  unusually  hungry,  and  had  a  hard  day's  work 
before  him. 


And  How  They  Grew.  49 

"  No,"  said  Joel,  alarmed  at  the  prospect,  and 
putting  in  an  enormous  mouthful ;  "  it's  better  than 
nothing." 

"  Oh,  dear,"  said  little  Phronsie,  catching  Joel's 
tone,  "  it  isn't  nice ;  no,  it  isn't."  And  she  put  down 
her  spoon  so  suddenly  that  the  molasses  spun  off  in 
a  big  drop,  that  trailed  off  the  corner  of  the  table, 
and  made  Polly  jump  up  and  run  for  the  floor-cloth. 

"  Oh,  Phronsie,"  she  said,  reprovingly ;  "  you 
ought  not  to.  Never  mind,  pet,"  as  she  caught  sight 
of  two  big  tears  trying  to  make  a  path  in  the  little 
molasses-streaked  face,  "  Polly'll  wipe  it  up." 

"  Sha'n't  we  ever  have  anything  else  to  eat,  Polly  ? " 
asked  the  child,  gravel}',  getting  down  from  her  high 
chair  to  watch  the  operation  of  cleaning  the  floor. 

"Oh,  yes,"  said  Polly,  cheerfully,  "lots  and  lots  — 
when  our  ship  comes  in." 

"  What'll  they  be  ?  "  asked  Phronsie,  in  the  great- 
est delight,  prepared  for  anything. 

"  Oh,  I  don't  know,"  said  Polly ;  "  ice  cream  for 
one  thing,  Phronsie,  and  maybe,  little  cakes." 

"With  pink  on  top ?"  interrupted  Phronsie,  get- 
ting down  by  Polly's  side. 

"  Oh,  yes,"  said  Polly,  warming  with  her  subject ; 
"ever  and  ever  so  much  pink,  Phronsie  Pepper; 
more  than  you  could  eat  !  " 


50  Five  Little  Peppers; 

Phronsie  just  clasped  her  hands  and  sighed. 
More  than  she  could  eat  was  beyond  her  ! 

"  Hoh ! "  said  Joel,  who  caught  the  imaginary  bill 
of  fare,  "that's  nothing,  Polly.  I'd  speak  for  a  plum 
puddin'." 

"Like  the  one  mother  made  us  for  Thanksgiving  ? " 
asked  Polly,  getting  up  and  waiting  a  minute,  cloth 
in  hand,  for  the  answer. 

"  Yes,  sir,"  said  Joel,  shutting  one  eye  and  look- 
ing up  at  the  ceiling,  musingly,  while  he  smacked  his 
lips  in  remembrance  ;  "wasn't  that  prime,  though  !  " 

"Yes,"  said  Polly,  thoughtfully;  "would  you  have 
'em  all  like  that,  Joe  ? " 

"  Every  one,"  replied  Joe,  promptly ;  "  I'd  have 
seventy-five  of  'em." 

"  Seventy-five  what  ?  "  asked  Mrs.  Pepper,  who 
had  gone  into  the  bedroom,  and  now  came  out,  a 
coat  in  hand,  to  sit  down  in  the  west  window,  where 
she  began  to  sew  rapidly.  "  Better  clear  up  the 
dishes,  Polly,  and  set  the  table  back  —  seventy-five 
what,  Joel  ? " 

"  Plum  puddings,"  said  Joel,  kissing  Phronsie. 

"Dear  me!"  ejaculated  Mrs.  Pepper;  "you  don't 
know  what  you're  saying,  Joel  Pepper ;  the  house 
couldn't  hold  'em  !  " 

"Wouldn't  long,"  responded  Joel ;  "we'd  eat  'em." 


And  How  They  Grew.  51 

"  That  would  be  foolish,"  interposed  Ben  ;  "  I'd 
have  roast  beef  and  fixings  —  and  oysters — and 
huckleberry  pie." 

"  Oh,  dear,"  cried  Polly ;  "  how  nice,  Ben !  you 
always  do  think  of  the  very  best  things." 

But  Joel  phoohed  and  declared  he  wouldn't  waste 
his  time  "over  old  beef;  he'd  have  something  like!" 
And  then  he  cried :  "  Come  on,  Dave,  what'd  you 
choose  ? " 

Little  Davie  had  been  quietly  eating  his  breakfast 
amid  all  this  chatter,  and  somehow  thinking  it  might 
make  the  mother  feel  badly,  he  had  refrained  from 
saying  just  how  tiresome  he  had  really  found  this 
"everlasting  breakfast "  as  Joel  called  it.  But  now 
he  looked  up  eagerly,  his  answer  all  ready.  "  Oh, 
I  know,"  he  cried,  "  what  would  be  most  beautiful ! 
toasted  bread  —  white  bread  —  and  candy." 

"  What's  candy  ?  "  asked  Phronsie. 

"  Oh,  don't  you  know,  Phronsie,"  cried  Polly, 
"  what  Mrs.  Beebe  gave  you  the  day  you  got  your 
shoes  —  the  pink  sticks ;  and  "  — 

"  And  the  peppermint  stick  Mr.  Beebe  gave 
you,  Phronsie,"  finished  Joel,  his  mouth  watering  at 
the  remembrance. 

"  That  day,  when  you  got  your  toe  pounded," 
added  Davie,  looking  at  Joel. 


52  Five  Little  Peppers; 

"  Oh  ! "  cried  Phronsie ;  "  I  want  some  now,  I 
do!" 

"  Well,  Davie,"  said  Polly,  "  you  shall  have  that 
for  breakfast  when  our  ship  comes  in  then." 

"  Your  ships  aren't  ever  coming,"  broke  in  Mrs. 
Pepper,  wisely,  "if  you  sit  there  talking  —  folks 
don't  ever  make  any  fortunes  by  wishing." 

"True  enough,"  laughed  Ben,  jumping  up  and 
setting  back  his  chair.  "  Come  on,  Joe  ;  you've  got 
to  pile  to-day." 

"  Oh,  dear,"  said  Joel,  dismally ;  "  I  wish  Mr. 
Blodgett's  wood  was  all  a-fire." 

"Never  say  that,  Joel,"  said  Mrs.  Pepper,  looking 
up  sternly ;  "  it's  biting  your  own  nose  off  to  wish 
that  wood  was  a-fire  —  and  besides  it's  dreadfully 
wicked." 

Joel  hung  his  head,  for  his  mother  never  spoke  in 
that  way  unless  she  was  strongly  moved ;  but  he 
soon  recovered,  and  hastened  off  for  his  jacket. 

"I'm  sorry  I  can't  help  you  do  the  dishes,  Polly," 
said  David,  running  after  Joel. 

"  I'm  going  to  help  her,"  said  Phronsie  ;  "  I  am." 

So  Polly  got  the  little  wooden  tub  that  she  always 
used,  gave  Phronsie  the  well-worn  cup-napkin,  and 
allowed  her  to  wipe  the  handleless  cups  and  cracked 
saucers,  which  afforded  the  little  one  intense  delight. 


And  How  They  Grew.  55 

"  Don't  you  wish,  Polly,"  said  little  Phronsie, 
bustling  around  with  a  very  important  air,  nearly 
smothered  in  the  depths  of  a  big  brown  apron  that 
Polly  had  carefully  tied  under  her  chin,  "  that  you 
didn't  ever-an'-ever  have  so  many  dishes  to  do?  " 

"  Um  —  maybe,"  said  Polly,  thoughtlessly.  She 
was  thinking  of  something  else  besides  cups  and 
saucers  just  then  ;  of  how  nice  it  would  be  to  go  off 
for  just  one  day,  and  do  exactly  as  she  had  a  mind 
to  in  everything.  She  even  envied  Ben  and  the 
boys  who  were  going  to  work  hard  at  Deacon  Blod- 
gett's  woodpile. 

"  Well,  I  tell  you,"  said  Phronsie,  confidentially, 
setting  down  a  cup  that  she  had  polished  with  great 
care,  "  I'm  going  to  dc  'em  all  to-morrow,  for  you, 
Polly —  I  can  truly;  let  me  now,  Polly,  do" 

"  Nonsense  ! "  said  Polly,  giving  a  great  splash 
with  her  mop  in  the  tub,  ashamed  of  her  inward 
repinings.  "  Phronsie,  you're  no  bigger  than  a 
mouse  !  " 

"Yes,  I  am,"  retorted  Phronsie,  very  indignantly. 
Her  face  began  to  get  very  red,  and  she  straight- 
ened up  so  suddenly  to  show  Polly  just  how  very- 
big  she  was  that  her  little  head  came  up  against 
the  edge  of  the  tub  —  over  it  went !  a  pile  of  saucers 
followed. 


56  Five  Little  Peppers; 

"  There  now,"  cried  Polly,  "  see  what  you've 
done ! " 

"Ow!"  whimpered  Phronsie,  breaking  into  a  sub- 
dued roar ;  "  oh,  Polly  !  it's  all  running  down  my 
back." 

"  Is  it  ? "  said  Polly,  bursting  out  into  a  laugh ; 
"  never  mind,  Phronsie,  I'll  dry  you." 

"  Dear  me,  Polly  ! "  said  Mrs.  Pepper,  who  had 
looked  up  in  time  to  see  the  tub  racing  along  by 
itself  towards  the  "  Provision  Room  "  door,  a  stream 
of  dish-water  following  in  its  wake,  "  she  will  be  wet 
clear  through  ;  do  get  off  her  things,  quick." 

"  Yes'm,"  cried  Polly,  picking  up  the  tub,  and 
giving  two  or  three  quick  sops  to  the  floor.  "  Here 
you  are,  Pussy,"  grasping  Phronsie,  crying  as  she 
was,  and  carrying  her  into  the  bedroom. 

"Oh,  dear,"  wailed  the  child,  still  holding  the  wet 
dish -towel ;  "  I  won't  ever  do  it  again,  if  you'll  only 
let  me  do  'em  all  to-morrow." 

"  When  you're  big  and  strong,"  said  Polly,  giving 
her  a  hug,  "  you  shall  do  'em  every  day." 

"  May  I  really  ?  "  said  little  Phronsie,  blinking 
through  the  tears,  and  looking  radiant. 

"  Yes,  truly  —  every  day." 

"Then  I'll  grow  right  away,  I  will,"  said  Phronsie, 
bursting  out  merrily ;  and  she  sat  down  and  pulled 


And  How  They  Greu>.  57 

off  the  well-worn  shoes,  into  which  a  big  pool  of  dish- 
water had  run,  while  Polly  went  for  dry  stockings. 

"So  you  shall,"  said  Polly,  coming  back,  a  big 
piece  of  gingerbread  in  her  hand;  "and  this'll  make 
you  grow,  Phronsie." 

"  O-o-h!"  and  Phronsie's  little  white  teeth  shut 
down  quickly  on  the  comforting  morsel.  Ginger- 
bread didn't  come  often  enough  into  the  Pepper 
household  to  be  lightly  esteemed. 

"  Now,"  said  Mrs.  Pepper,  when  order  was 
restored,  the  floor  washed  up  brightly,  and  every  cup 
and  platter  in  place,  hobnobbing  away  to  themselves 
on  the  shelves  of  the  old  corner  cupboard,  and  Polly 
had  come  as  usual  with  needle  and  thread  to  help 
mother — Polly  was  getting  so  that  she  could  do  the 
plain  parts  on  the  coats  and  jackets,  which  filled  her 
with  pride  at  the  very  thought  —  "now,"  said  Mrs. 
Pepper,  "  you  needn't  help  me  this  morning,  Polly  : 
I'm  getting  on  pretty  smart ;  but  you  may  just  run 
down  to  the  parson's,  and  see  how  he  is." 

"  Is  he  sick?"  asked  Polly,  in  awe. 

To  have  the  parson  sick,  was  something  quite  dif- 
ferent from  an  ordinary  person's  illness. 

"  He's  taken  with  a  chill,"  said  Mrs.  Pepper,  bit- 
ing off  a  thread,  "so  Miss  Huldy  Folsom  told  me  last 
night,  and  I'm  afraid  he's  going  to  have  a  fever." 


58  Five  Little  Peppers  ; 

"  Oh,  dear,"  said  Polly,  in  dire  distress;  "  what- 
ever'd  we  do,  mammy  !  " 

"  Don't  know,  I'm  sure,"  replied  Mrs.  Pepper, 
setting  her  stitches  firmly ;  "  the  Lord'll  provide. 
So  you  run  along,  child,  and  see  how  he  is." 

"  Can't  Phronsie  go  ?  "  asked  Polly,  pausing  half- 
way to  the  bedroom  door. 

"Well,  yes,  I  suppose  she  might,"  said  Mrs.  Pep- 
per, assentingly. 

"  No,  she  can't  either,"  said  Polly,  coming  back 
with  her  sun-bonnet  in  her  hand,  and  shutting  the 
door  carefully  after  her,  "  'cause  she's  fast  asleep  on 
the  floor." 

"  Is  she  ?  "  said  Mrs.  Pepper  ;  "  well,  she's  been 
running  so  this  morning,  she's  tired  out,  I  'spose.1' 

"And  her  face  is  dreadfully  red,"  continued  Polly, 
tying  on  her  bonnet;  "now,  what'll  I  say,  mammy?" 

"Well,  I  should  think  'twould  be,"  said  Mrs.  Pep- 
per, replying  to  the  first  half  of  Polly's  speech;  "she 
cried  so.  Well,  you  just  tell  Mrs.  Henderson  your 
ma  wants  to  know  how  Mr.  Henderson  is  this  morn- 
ing, and  if  'twas  a  chill  he  had  yesterday,  and  how 
he  slept  last  night,  and  "  — 

"Oh,  ma,"  said  Polly,  "I  can't  ever  remember  all 
that." 

"  Oh,  yes,  you  can,"  said  Mrs.  Pepper,  encourag- 


And  How  They  Grew.  59 

ingly ;  "just  put  your  mind  on  it,  Polly  ;  'tisn't  any- 
thing to  what  I  used  to  have  to  remember — when  I 
was  a  little  girl,  no  bigger  than  you  are." 

Polly  sighed,  and  feeling  sure  that  something 
must  be  the  matter  with  her  mind,  gave  her  whole 
attention  to  the  errand ;  till  at  last  after  a  multiplicity 
of  messages  and  charges  not  to  forget  any  one  of 
them,  Mrs.  Pepper  let  her  depart. 

Up  to  the  old-fashioned  green  door,  with  its  brass 
knocker,  Polly  went,  running  over  in  her  mind  just 
which  of  the  messages  she  ought  to  give  first.  She 
couldn't  for  her  life  think  whether  "  if  'twas  a  chill 
he  had  yesterday  ?  "  ought  to  come  before  "  how  he 
slept?"  She  knocked  timidly,  hoping  Mrs.  Hender- 
son would  help  her  out  of  her  difficulty  by  telling  her 
without  the  asking.  All  other  front  doors  in  Badger- 
town  were  ornaments,  only  opened  on  grand  occa- 
sions, like  a  wedding  or  a  funeral.  But  the  minister's 
was  accessible  alike  to  all.  So  Polly  let  fall  the 
knocker,  and  awaited  the  answer. 

A  scuffling  noise  sounded  along  the  passage  ;  and 
then  Polly's  soul  sank  down  in  dire  dismay.  It  was 
the  minister's  sister,  and  not  gentle  little  Mrs.  Hen- 
derson. She  never  could  get  on  with  Miss  Jerusha 
in  the  least.  She  made  her  feel  as  she  told  her 
mother  once —  "  as  if  I  don't  know  what  my  name 


60  Five  Little  Peppers  ; 

is."    And  now  here  she  was ;  and  all  those  messages. 

Miss  Jerusha  unbolted  the  door,  slid  back  the 
great  bar,  opened  the  upper  half,  and  stood  there. 
She  was  a  big  woman,  with  sharp  black  eyes,  and 
spectacles — over  which  she  looked  —  which  to  Polly 
was  much  worse,  for  that  gave  her  four  eyes. 

"  Well,  and  what  do  you  want  ?  "  she  asked. 

;'  I  came  to  see  —  I  mean  my  ma  sent  me,"  stam- 
mered poor  Polly. 

"  And  who  is  your  ma  ?"  demanded  Miss  Jerusha, 
as  much  like  a  policeman  as  anything ;  "  and  where 
do  you  live  ?  " 

"  I  live  in  Primrose  Lane,"  replied  Polly,  wishing 
very  much  that  she  was  back  there. 

"  I  don't  want  to  know  where  you  live,  before  I 
know  who  you  are,"  said  Miss  Jerusha;  "you  should 
answer  the  question  I  asked  first ;  always  remember 
that." 

"  My  ma's  Mrs.  Pepper,"  said  Polly. 

"  Mrs.  who  ? "  repeated  Miss  Jerusha. 

By  this  time  Polly  was  so  worn  that  she  came  very 
near  turning  and  fleeing,  but  she  thought  of  her 
mother's  disappointment  in  her,  and  the  loss  of  the 
news,  and  stood  quite  still. 

"  What  is  it,  Jerusha  ?  "  a  gentle  voice  here  broke 
upon  Polly's  ear. 


And  How  They  Grew.  61 

"  I  don't  know,"  responded  Miss  Jerusha,  tartly, 
still  holding  the  door  much  as  if  Polly  were  a  robber; 
"it's  a  little  girl,  and  I  can't  make  out  what  she 
wants." 

"Why,  it's  Polly  Pepper  !  "  exclaimed  Mrs.  Hen- 
derson, pleasantly.  "  Come  in,  child."  She  opened 
the  other  half  of  the  big  door,  and  led  the  way 
through  the  wide  hall  into  a  big,  old-fashioned  room, 
with  painted  floor,  and  high,  old  side-board,  and 
some  stiff-backed  rocking-chairs. 

Miss  Jerusha  stalked  in  also  and  seated  herself 
by  the  window,  and  began  to  knit.  Polly  had  just 
opened  her  mouth  to  tell  her  errand,  when  the  door 
also  opened  suddenly  and  Mr.  Henderson  walked  in. 

"  Oh!"  said  Polly,  and  then  she  stopped,  and  the 
color  flushed  up  into  her  face. 

"  What  is  it,  my  dear?"  and  the  minister  took  her 
hand  kindly,  and  looked  down  into  her  flushed  face. 

"  You  are  not  going  to  have  a  fever,  and  be  sick 
and  die  ! "  she  cried. 

"  I  hope  not,  my  little  girl,"  he  smiled  back,  en- 
couragingly ;  and  then  Polly  gave  her  messages, 
which  now  she  managed  easily  enough. 

"  There,"  broke  in  Miss  Jerusha,  "  a  cat  can't 
sneeze  in  this  town  but  everybody'll  know  it  in  quar- 
ter of  an  hour." 


62  Five  Little  Peppers; 

And  then  Mrs.  Henderson  took  Polly  out  to  see 
a  brood  of  new  little  chicks,  that  had  just  popped 
their  heads  out  into  the  world ;  and  to  Polly,  down 
on  her  knees,  admiring,  the  time  passed  very  swiftly 
indeed. 

"Now  I  must  go,  ma'am,"  she  said  at  last,  looking 
up  into  the  lady's  face,  regretfully,  "for  mammy 
didn't  say  I  was  to  stay." 

"  Very  well,  dear;  do  you  think  you  could  carry  a 
little  pat  of  butter  ?  I  have  some  very  nice  my  sister 
sent  me,  and  I  want  your  mother  to  share  it." 

"  Oh,  thank  you,  ma'am  !  "  cried  Polly,  thinking, 
"  how  glad  Davie'll  be,  for  he  does  so  love  butter  ! 
only"  — 

"  Wait  a  bit,  then,"  said  Mrs.  Henderson,  who 
didn't  seem  to  notice  the  objection.  So  she  went 
into  the  house,  and  Polly  went  down  again  in  admira- 
tion before  the  fascinating  little  puff-balls. 

But  she  was  soon  on  the  way,  with  a  little  pat  of 
butter  in  a  blue  bowl,  tied  over  with  a  clean  cloth  ; 
happy  in  her  gift  for  mammy,  and  in  the  knowledge 
of  the  minister  being  all  well. 

"I  wonder  if  Phronsie's  awake,"  she  thought  to 
herself,  turning  in  at  the  little  brown  gate  ;  "  if  she 
is,  she  shall  have  a  piece  of  bread  with  lots  of  butter." 

"Hush!"  said  Mrs.  Pepper,  from  the  rocking-chair 


And  How   They  Grew.  63 

in  the  middle  of  the  floor.  She  had  something  in 
her  arms.  Polly  stopped  suddenly,  almost  letting 
the  bowl  fall. 

"  It's  Phronsie,"  said  the  mother,  "  and  I  don't 
know  what  the  matter  is  with  her ;  you'll  have  to  go 
for  the  doctor,  Polly,  and  just  as  fast  as  you  can." 

Polly  still  stood,  holding  the  bowl,  and  staring 
with  all  her  might.  Phronsie  sick  .> 

"  Don't  wake  her,"  said  Mrs.  Pepper. 

Poor  Polly  couldn't  have  stirred  to  save  her  life, 
for  a  minute  ;  then  she  said  —  "  Where  shall  I  go? " 

"Oh,  run  to  Dr.  Fisher's;  and  don't  be  gone  long." 

Polly  set  down  the  bowl  of  butter,  and  sped  on  the 
wings  of  the  wind  for  the  doctor.  Something  dread- 
ful was  the  matter,  she  felt,  for  never  had  a  physician 
been  summoned  to  the  hearty  Pepper  family  since 
she  could  remember,  only  when  the  father  died. 
Fear  lent  speed  to  her  feet ;  and  soon  the  doctor 
came,  and  bent  over  poor  little  Phronsie,  who  still 
lay  in  her  mother's  arms,  in  a  burning  fever. 

"It's  measles,"  he  pronounced,  "that's  all;  no 
cause  for  alarm ;  you  ever  had  it  ? "  he  asked,  turning 
suddenly  around  on  Polly,  who  was  watching  with 
wide-open  eyes  for  the  verdict. 

"  No,  sir,"  answered  Polly,  not  knowing  in  the 
least  what  "measles  "  was. 


64  Five  Little  Peppers; 

"What  shall  we  do!"  said  Mrs.  Pepper;  "there 
haven't  any  of  them  had  it." 

The  doctor  was  over  by  the  little  old  table  under 
the  window,  mixing  up  some  black-looking  stuff  in 
a  tumbler,  and  he  didn't  hear  her. 

"  There,"  he  said,  putting  a  spoonful  into  Phron- 
sie's  mouth,  "  she'll  get  along  well  enough ;  only  keep 
her  out  of  the  cold."  Then  he  pulled  out  a  big  silver 
watch.  He  was  a  little  thin  man,  and  the  watch  was 
immense.  Polly  for  her  life  couldn't  keep  her  eyes 
off  from  it ;  if  Ben  could  only  have  one  so  fine  ! 

"Polly,"''  whispered  Mrs.  Pepper,  "run  and  get  my 
purse  ;  it's  in  the  top  bureau  drawer." 

"  Yes'm,"  said  Polly,  taking  her  eyes  off,  by  a  vio- 
lent wrench,  from  th^  fascinating  watch ;  and  she  ran 
quickly  and  got  the  little  old  stocking-leg,  where  the 
hard  earnings  that  staid  long  enough  to  be  put  any 
where,  always  found  refuge.  She  put  it  into  her 
mother's  lap,  and  watched  while  Mrs.  Pepper  counted 
out  slowly  one  dollar  in  small  pieces. 

"  Here  sir,"  said  Mrs.  Pepper,  holding  them  out 
towards  the  doctor;  "and  thank  you  for  coming." 

"  Hey ! "  said  the  little  man,  spinning  round ;  "  that 
dollar's  the  Lord's  !  " 

Mrs.  Pepper  looked  bewildered,  and  still  sat  hold- 
ing it  out. 


And  How  They  Grew.  65 

"And  the  Lord  has  given  it  to  you  to  take  care 
of  these  children  with ;  see  that  you  do  it."  And 
without  another  word  he  was  gone. 

"Wasn't  he  good,  mammy?"  asked  Polly,  after 
the  first  surprise  was  over. 

"I'm  sure  he  was,"  said  Mrs.  Pepper.  "Well,  tie 
it  up  again,  Polly,  tie  it  up  tight ;  we  shall  want  it, 
I'm  sure,"  sighing  at  her  little  sick  girl. 

"  Mayn't  I  take  Phronsie,  ma  ?  "  asked  Polly. 

" No,  no"  said  Phronsie.  She  had  got  mammy, 
and  she  meant  to  improve  the  privilege. 

"What  is  'measles'  anyway,  mammy?"  asked 
Polly,  sitting  down  on  the  floor  at  their  feet 

"  Oh,  'tis  something  children  always  have,"  replied 
Mrs.  Pepper ;  "  but  I'm  sure  I  hoped  it  wouldn't 
come  just  yet." 

"  /sha'n't  have  it,"  said  Polly,  decisively ;  "  I  know 
I  sha'n't !  nor  Ben  —  nor  Joe  — nor  —  nor  Davie  — 
I  guess,"  she  added,  hesitatingly,  for  Davie  was  the 
delicate  one  of  the  family ;  at  least  not  nearly  so 
strong  as  the  others. 

Mrs.  Pepper  looked  at  her  anxiously ;  but  Polly 
seemed  as  bright  and  healthy  as  ever,  as  she  jumped 
up  and  ran  to  put  the  kettle  on  the  stove. 

"  What'll  the  boys  say,  I  wonder !  "  she  thought  to 
herself,  feeling  quite  important  that  they  really  had 


66  Five  Little  Peppers; 

sickness  in  the  house.  As  long  as  Phronsie  wasn't 
dangerous,  it  seemed  quite  like  rich  folks ;  and  she 
forgot  the  toil,  and  the  grind  of  poverty.  She  looked 
out  from  time  to  time  as  she  passed  the  window, 
but  no  boys  came. 

"I'll  put  her  in  bed,  Polly,"  said  Mrs.  Pepper,  in 
a  whisper,  as  Phronsie  closed  her  eyes  and  breathed 
regularly. 

"  And  then  will  you  have  your  dinner,  ma  ? " 

"Yes,"  said  Mrs.  Pepper,  "I  don't  care  —  if  the 
boys  come." 

"The  boys'll  never  come,"  said  Polly,  impatiently; 
"  I  don't  believe  —  why  !  here  they  are  now  !" 

"  Oh,  dear,"  said  Joel,  coming  in  crossly,  "  I'm  so 
hungry  —  oh  —  butter!  where'd  you  get  it?  I  thought 
we  never  should  get  here  ! " 

"  I  thought  so  too,"  said  Polly.  "  Hush !  why, 
where's  Ben  ? " 

"  He's  just  back,"  began  Joel,  commencing  to  eat, 
"and  Davie;  something  is  the  matter  with  Ben  —  he 
says  he  feels  funny." 

"  Something  the  matter  with  Ben!"  repeated  Polly. 
She  dropped  the  cup  she  held,  which  broke  in  a 
dozen  pieces. 

"  Oh,  whocky !  "  cried  Joel ;  "  see  what  you've 
done,  Polly  Pepper!" 


And  How  They  Grew.  67 

But  Polly  didn't  hear ;  over  the  big,  flat  door-stone 
she  sped,  and  met  Ben  with  little  David,  coming  in 
the  gate.  His  face  was  just  like  Phronsie's !  And 
with  a  cold,  heavy  feeling  at  her  heart,  Polly  realized 
that  this  was  no  play. 

"  Oh,  Ben  ! "  she  cried,  flinging  her  arms  around 
his  neck,  and  bursting  into  tears;  '•'•don't!  please  — 
I  wish  you  wouldn't;  Phronsie's  got  'em,  and  that's 
enough !  " 

"Got  what?"  asked  Ben,  while  Davie's  eyes  grew 
to  their  widest  proportions. 

"  Oh,  measles  !  "  cried  Polly,  bursting  out  afresh  ; 
"the  hatef idlest,  horridest  measles!  and  now  you're 
taken  ! "  . 

"  Oh  no,  I'm  not,"  responded  Ben,  cheerfully,  who 
knew  what  measles  were  ;  "  wipe  up,  Polly  ;  I'm  all 
right;  only  my  head  aches,  and  my  eyes  feel  funny." 

But  Polly,  only  half-reassured,  controlled  her  sobs; 
and  the  sorrowful  trio  repaired  to  mother. 

"Oh,  dear!"  ejaculated  Mrs.  Pepper,  sinking  in  a 
chair  in  dismay,  at  sight  of  Ben's  red  face  ;  "what- 
ever'll  we  do  now  !  " 

The  prop  and  stay  of  her  life  would  be  taken  away 
if  Ben  should  he  laid  aside.  No  more  stray  half  or 
quarter  dollars  would  come  to  help  her  out  when  she 
didn't  know  where  to  turn. 


68  Five  Little  Peppers  ; 

Polly  cleared  off  the  deserted  table  —  for  once 
Joel  had  all  the  bread  and  butter  he  wanted.  Ben* 
took  some  of  Phronsie's  medicine,  and  crawled  up 
into  the  loft,  to  bed ;  and  quiet  settled  down  on  the 
little  household. 

"Polly,"  whispered  Ben.  as  she  tucked  him  in, 
"  it'll  be  hard  buckling-to  now,  for  you,  but  I  guess 
you'll  do  it." 


And  How  They  Grew.  69 


CHAPTER   V. 

MORE    TROUBLE. 

OH,  dear,"  said  Polly  to  herself,  the  next  morn- 
ing, trying  to  get  a  breakfast  for  the  sick 
ones  out  of  the  inevitable  mush;  "everything's  just 
as  bad  as  it  can  be  !  they  can't  ever  eat  this ;  I  wish 
I  had  an  ocean  of  toast !" 

"  Toast  some  of  the  bread  in  the  pail,  Polly,"  said 
Mrs.  Pepper. 

She  looked  worn  and  worried;  she  had  been  up 
nearly  all  night,  back  and  forth  from  Ben's  bed  in  the 
loft  to  restless,  fretful  little  Phronsie  in  the  big  four- 
poster  in  the  bed-room  ;  for  Phronsie  wouldn't  get 
into  the  crib.  Polly  had  tried  her  best  to  help 
her,  and  had  rubbed  her  eyes  diligently  to  keep 
awake,  but  she  was  wholly  unaccustomed  to  it,  and 
her  healthy,  tired  little  body  succumbed  —  and  then 
when  she  awoke,  shame  and  remorse  filled  her  very 
heart. 


70  Five  Little  Peppers  ; 

"  That  isn't  nice,  ma,"  she  said,  glancing  at  the 
poor  old  pail,  which  she  had  brought  out  of  the 
"  Provision  Room."  "  Old  brown  bread  !  I  want  to 
fix  'em  something  nice." 

"  Well,  you  can't,  you  know,"  said  Mrs.  Pepper, 
with  a  sigh ;  "  but  you've  got  butter  now ;  that'll  be 
splendid !  " 

"  I  know  it,"  said  Polly,  running  to  the  corner  cup- 
board where  the  precious  morsel  in  the  blue  bowl 
remained ;  "  whatever  should  we  do  without  it, 
mammy  ? " 

"Do  without  it!  "  said  Mrs.  Pepper;  "same's  we 
have  done." 

"  Well,  'twas  splendid  in  Mrs.  Henderson  to  give 
it  to  us,  anyway,"  said  Polly,  longing  for  just  one 
taste ;  "  seems  as  if  'twas  a  year  since  I  was  there — 
oh,  ma  !  "  and  here  Polly  took  up  the  thread  that  had 
been  so  rudely  snapped  ;  "don't  you  think,  she's  got 
ten  of  the  prettiest  —  yes,  the  sweetest  little  chickens 
you  ever  saw  !  Why  can't  we  have  some,  mammy  ?" 

"  Costs  money,"  replied  Mrs.  Pepper.  "  We've 
got  too  many  in  the  house  to  have  any  outside." 

"Oh,  dear,"  said  Polly,  with  a  red  face  that  was 
toasting  about  as  much  as  the  bread  she  was  holding 
on  the  point  of  an  old  fork;  "we  never  have  had 
anything.  There,"  she  added  at  last ;  "  that's  the 


And  How  They  Greiv.  7 1 

best  I  can  do  ;  now  I'll  put  the  butter  on  this  little 
blue  plate  ;  ain't  that  cunning,  ma  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  said  Mrs.  Pepper,  approvingly  ;  "  it  takes 
you,  Polly." 

So  Polly  trotted  first  to  Ben,  up  the  crooked,  low 
stairs  to  the  loft ;  and  while  she  regaled  him  with  the 
brown  toast  and  butter,  she  kept  her  tongue  flying  on 
the  subject  of  the  little  chicks,  and  all  that  she  saw  on 
the  famous  Henderson  visit.  Poor  Ben  pretended 
hard  to  eat,  but  ate  nothing  really  ;  and  Polly  saw  it 
all,  and  it  cut  her  to  the  heart  —  so  she  talked  faster 
than  ever. 

"  Now,"  she  said,  starting  to  go  back  to  Phronsie  ; 
"  Ben  Pepper,  just  as  soon  as  you  get  well,  o^V/have 
some  chickens  —  so  there  !  " 

"  Guess  we  sha'n't  get  'em  very  soon,"  said  Ben, 
despondently,  "  if  I've  got  to  lie  here  ;  and,  besides, 
Polly,  you  know  every  bit  we  can  save  has  got  to  go 
for  the  new  stove." 

"  Oh,  dear,"  said  Polly,  "  I  forgot  that ;  so  it  has ; 
seems  to  me  everything's  giving  out !  " 

"  You  can't  bake  any  longer  in  the  old  thing,"  said 
Ben,  turning  over  and  looking  at  her;  poor  "girl,  I 
don't  see  how  you've  stood  it  so  long." 

"And  we've  been  stuffing  it,"  cried  Polly  merrily, 
"till  'twon't  stuff  any  more." 


72  Five  Little  Peppers  ; 

"  No,"  said  Ben,  turning  back  again,  "  that's  all 
worn  out." 

"  Well,  you  must  go  to  sleep,"  said  Polly,  "  or 
mammy'll  be  up  here  ;  and  Phronsie  hasn't  had  her 
breakfast  either." 

Phronsie  was  wailing  away  dismally,  sitting  up  in 
the  middle  of  the  old  bed.  Her  face  pricked,  she 
said,  and  she  was  rubbing  it  vigorously  with  both  fat 
little  hands,  and  then  crying  worse  than  ever. 

"  Oh  me  !  oh  my !  "  cried  Polly ;  "  how  you  look, 
Phronsie  !  " 

"  I  want  my  mammy  !  "  cried  poor  Phronsie. 

"Mammy  can't  come  now,  Phronsie  dear;  she's 
sewing.  See  what  Polly's  got  for  you  —  butter:  isn't 
that  splendid!" 

Phronsie  stopped  for  just  one  moment,  and  took  a 
mouthful ;  but  the  toast  was  hard  and  dry,  and  she 
cried  harder  than  before. 

"Now,"  said  Polly,  curling  up  on  the  bed  beside 
her,  "  if  you'll  stop  crying,  Phronsie  Pepper,  I'll  tell 
you  about  the  cunningest,  yes,  the  very  cunningest 
little  chickens  you  ever  saw.  One  was  white,  and  he 
looked  just  like  this,"  said  Polly,  tumbling  over  on 
the  bed  in  a  heap  ;  "he  couldn't  stand  up  straight,  he 
was  so  fat." 

"Did  he  bite 9"  asked  Phronsie,  full  of  interest. 


And  How  They  Grew,  73 

"  No,  he  didn't  bite  me"  said  Polly ;  "  but  his 
mother  put  a  bug  in  his  mouth — just  as  ['m  doing 
you  know,"  and  she  broke  off  a  small  piece  of  the 
toast,  put  on  a  generous  bit  of  butter,  and  held  it 
over  Phronsie's  mouth. 

"  Did  he  swallow  it  ?•"  asked  the  child,  obediently 
opening  her  little  red  lips. 

"Oh,  snapped 'it,"  answered  Polly,  "quick  as  ever 
he  could,  I  tell  you ;  but  'twasn't  good  like  this. 
Phronsie." 

"  Did  he  have  two  bugs  ? "  asked  Phronsie,  eying 
suspiciously  the  second  morsel  of  dry  toast  that  Polly 
was  conveying  to  her  mouth. 

"Well,  he  would  have  had,"  replied  Polly,  "if 
there'd  been  bugs  enough  ;  but  there  were  nine  other 
chicks,  Phronsie." 

"Poor  chickies,"  said  Phronsie,  and  looked  lov- 
ingly at  the  rest  of  the  toast  and  butter  on  the  plate  ; 
and  while  Polly  fed  it  to  her,  listened  with  absorbed 
interest  to  all  the  particulars  concerning  each  and 
every  chick  in  the  Henderson  hen-coop. 

"  Mother,"  said  Polly,  towards  evening,  "  I'm  going 
to  sit  up  with  Ben  to-night ;  say  I  may,  do,  mother." 

"Oh  no,  you  can't,"  replied  Mrs.  Pepper;  "you'll 
get  worn  out ;  and  then  what  shall  I  do  ?  Joel  can 
hand  him  his  medicine." 


74  Jftve  Little  Peppers  ; 

"  Oh,  Joe  would  tumble  to  sleep,  mammy,"  said 
Polly,  "the  first  thing  —  let  me." 

"  Perhaps  Phronsie'll  let  me  go  to-night,"  said  Mrs. 
Pepper,  reflectively. 

"Oh,  no  she  won't,  I  know,"  replied  Polly,  de- 
cisively ;  "  she  wants  you  all  the  time." 

"/will,  Polly,"  said  Davie,  coming  in  with  an  arm- 
ful of  wood,  in  time  to  hear  the  conversation.  "  I'll 
give  him  his  medicine,  mayn't  I,  mammy  ?  "  and  David 
let  down  his  load,  and  came  over  where  his  mother 
and  Polly  sat  sewing,  to  urge  his  rights. 

"  I  don't  know,"  said  his  mother,  smiling  on  him. 
"  Can  you,  do  you  think  ?  " 

"  Yes,  ma'am  !  "  said  Davie,  straightening  himself 
up. 

When  they  told  Ben,  he  said  he  knew  a  better  way 
than  for  Davie  to  watch  ;  he'd  have  a  string  tied  to 
Davie's  arm,  and  the  end  he'd  hold  in  bed,  and  when 
'twas  time  for  medicine,  he'd  pull  the  string,  and  that 
would  wake  Davie  up  ! 

Polly  didn't  sleep  much  more  on  her  shake-down  on 
the  floor  than  if  she  had  watched  with  Ben ;  for 
Phronsie  cried  and  moaned,  and  wanted  a  drink  of 
water  every  two  minutes,  it  seemed  to  her.  As  she 
went  back  into  her  nest  after  one  of  these  travels, 
Polly  thought:  "Well,  I  don't  care,  if  nobody  else 


And  How  They  Grew.  75 

gets  sick  ;  if  Ben'll  only  get  well.  To-morrow  I'm 
goin'  to  do  mammy's  sack  she's  begun  for  Mr.  Jack- 
son ;  it's  all  plain  sewin',  just  like  a  bag ;  and  1  can 

do  it,  I  know "  and  so  she  fell  into    a  troubled 

sleep,  only  to  be  awakened  by  Phronsie's  fretful  little 
voice :  "  I  want  a  drink  of  water,  Polly,  I  do" 


BEN   TIES   DAVIE. 


"Don't  she  drink  awfully,  mammy  ?"  asked  Polly, 
after  one  of  these  excursions  out  to  the  kitchen  after 
the  necessary  draught. 

"  Yes,"  said  Mrs.  Pepper  ;  "  and  she  mustn't  have 


76  Five  Little.  Peppers  ; 

any  more  ;  'twill  hurt  her."  But  Phronsie  fell  into  a 
delicious  sleep  after  that,  and  didn't  want  any  more, 
luckily. 

"  Here,  Joe,"  said  Mrs.  Pepper,  the  next  morning, 
"  take  this  coat  up  to  Mr.  Peterses ;  and  be  sure  you 
get  the  money  for  it." 

"  Hovv'll  I  get  it  ?  "  asked  Joe,  who  didn't  relish  the 
long,  hot  walk. 

"  Why,  tell  'em  we're  sick — Ben's  sick,"  added 
Mrs.  Pepper,  as  the  most  decisive  thing ;  "  and  we 
must  have  it ;  and  then  wait  for  it." 

"  'Tisn't  pleasant  up  at  the  Peterses,"  grumbled 
Joel,  taking  the  parcel  and  moving  slowly  off. 

"  No,  no,  Polly,"  said  Mrs.  Pepper,  "  you  needn't 
do  that,"  seeing  Polly  take  up  some  sewing  after 
doing  up  the  room  and  finishing  the  semi-weekly 
bake ;  "  you're  all  beat  out  with  that  tussle  over  the 
stove  ;  that  sack'll  have  to  go  till  next  week." 

"  It  can't,  mammy,"  said  Polly,  snipping  off  a 
basting  thread;  "we've  got  to  have  the  money;  how 
much'll  he  give  you  for  it  ?  " 

"Thirty  cents,"  replied  Mrs.  Pepper. 
"  Well,"  said  Polly,  "  we've  got  to  get  all  the  thirty 
centses  we  can,  mammy  dear  ;  and  I  know  I  can  do 
it,  truly  —  try  me  once,"  she  implored. 
"  Well."    Mrs.  Pepper  relented,  slowly. 


Ami  How  They  Grew.  77 

"  Don't  feel  bad,  mammy  dear,"  comforted  Polly, 
sewing  away  briskly ;  "  Ben'll  get  well  pretty  soon, 
and  then  we'll  be  all  right." 

"  Maybe,"  said  Mrs.  Pepper  ;  and  went  back  to 
Phronsie,  who  could  scarcely  let  her  out  of  her  sight. 

Polly  stitched  away  bravely.  "  Now  if  I  do  this 
good,  mammy'll  let  me  do  it  other  timesr"  she  said 
to  herself. 

Davie,  too,  worked  patiently  out  of  doors,  trying  to 
do  Ben's  chores.  The  little  fellow  blundered  over 
things  that  Ben  would  have  accomplished  in  half  the 
time,  and  he  had  to  sit  down  often  on  the  steps  of 
the  little  old  shed  where  the  tools  were  kept,  to  wipe 
his  hot  face  and  rest. 

"Polly,"  said  Mrs.  Pepper,  "hadn't  you  better  stop 
a  little  ?  Dear  me  !  how  fast  you  sew,  child  ! " 

Polly  gave  a  delighted  little  hum  at  her  mother's 
evident  approval. 

"  I'm  going  to  do  'em  all  next  week,  mammy,"  she 
said ;  "  then  Mr.  Atkins  won't  take  'em  away  from 
us,  I  guess." 

Mr.  Atkins  kept  the  store,  and  gave  out  coats  and 
sacks  of  coarse  linen  and  homespun  to  Mrs.  Pepper 
to  make  ;  and  it  was  the  fear  of  losing  the  work  that 
had  made  the  mother's  heart  sink. 

"I  don't  believe  anybody's  got  such  children  as  I 


7  8  Five  Little  Peppers ; 

have,"  she  said ;  and  she  gave  Polly  a  motherly  little 
pat  that  the  little  daughter  felt  clear  to  the  tips  of  her 
toes  with  a  thrill  of  delight. 

About  half-past  two,  long  after  dinner,  Joe  came 
walking  in,  hungry  as  a  beaver,  but  flushed  and  tri- 
umphant. 

"  Why,  where  have  you  been  all  this  time  ?  "  asked 
his  mother. 

"  Oh,  Joe,  you  didn't  stop  to  play  ?  "  asked  Polly, 
from  her  perch  where  she  sat  sewing,  giving  him  a 
reproachful  glance. 

"  Stop  to  play  !  "  retorted  Joe,  indignantly ;  "  no,  I 
guess  I  didn't !  I've  been  to  Old  Peterses." 

"  Not  all  this  time  /"  exclaimed  Mrs.  Pepper. 

"  Yes,  I  have  too,"  replied  Joel,  sturdily  marching 
up  to  her.  "  And  there's  your  money,  mother  ;  "  and 
he  counted  out  a  quarter  of  a  dollar  in  silver  pieces 
and  pennies,  which  he  took  from  a  dingy  wad  of 
paper,  stowed  away  in  the  depths  of  his  pocket. 

''  Oh,  Joe,"  said  Mrs.  Pepper,  sinking  back  in  her 
chair  and  looking  at  him  ;  "what  do  you  mean  ?  " 

Polly  put  her  work  in  her  lap,  and  waited  to  hear. 

"  Where's  my  dinner,  Polly  ?  "  asked  Joel ;  "  I 
hope  it's  a  big  one." 

"Yes,  'tis,"  said  Polly;    "you've  got  lots  to-day. 


And  How  They  Grew.  79 

it's  in  the  corner  of  the  cupboard,  covered  up  with 
the  plate  —  so  tell  on,  Joe." 

"  That's  elegant !  "  said  Joel,  coming  back  with 
the  well-filled  plate,  Ben's  and  his  own  share. 

"Do  tell  us,  Joey,"  implored  Polly;  "mother's 
waiting." 

"  Well,"  said  Joel,  his  mouth  half  full,  "  I  waited 

—  and  he  said  the  coat  was  all  right  ;  —  and  —  and 

—  Mrs.   Peters  said 'twas  all  right;  —  and  Mirandy 
Peters  said  'twas  all  right ;  but  they  didn't  any  of 
'em  say  anythin'  about  payin',  so  /didn't  think  'twas 
all   right — and  —  and — can't   I    have   some   more 
butter,  Polly  ?  " 

"  No,"  said  Polly,  sorry  to  refuse  him,  he'd  been 
so  good  about  the  money ;  "  the  butter's  got  to  be 
saved  for  Ben  and  Phronsie." 

"  Oh,"  said  Joe,  "  I  wish  Miss  Henderson  would 
send  us  some  more,  I  do  f  I  think  she  might !  " 

"  For  shame,  Joe,"  said  Mrs.  Pepper ;  "  she  was 
very  good  to  send  this,  I  think  ;  now  what  else  did 
you  say  ?  "  she  asked. 

"Well,"  said  Joel,  taking  another  mouthful  of 
bread,  "so  I  waited;  you  told  me  to,  mother,  you 
know  —  and  they  all  went  to  work;  and  they  didn't 
njirid  me  at  all,  and  —  there  wasn't  anything  to  look 


8o  Five  Little  Peppers  ; 

at,  so  I  sat  —  and  sat  —  Polly,  can't  I  have  some 
gingerbread  ?  " 

"  No,"  said  Polly,  "  it's  all  gone  ;  I  gave  the  last 
piece  to  Phronsie  the  day  she  was  taken  sick." 

"Oh,  dear,"  said  Joel,  "everything's  gone." 

"  Well,  do  go  on,  Joe,  do" 

"  And  —  then  they  had  dinner  ;  and  Mr.  Peters 
said,  'Hasn't  that  boy  gone  home  yet?'  and  Mrs. 
Peters  said,  '  no  '  —  and  he  called  me  in,  and  asked 
me  why  I  didn't  run  along  home  ;  and  I  said,  Phron- 
sie was  sick,  and  Ben  had  the  squeezles " 

"  The  what  ?  "  said  Polly. 

"  The  squeezles"  repeated  Joel,  irritably  ;  "  that's 
what  you  said." 

"  It's  measles,  Joey,"  corrected  Mrs.  Pepper  ; 
"  never  mind,  I  wouldn't  feel  bad." 

"  Well,  they  all  laughed,  and  laughed,  and  then  I 
said  you  told  me  to  wait  till  I  did  get  the  money." 

"  Oh,  Joe,"  began  Mrs.  Pepper,  "  you  shouldn't 
have  toid  'em  so  —  what  did  he  say  ?  " 

"  Well,  he  laughed,  and  said  I  was  a  smart  boy, 
and  he'd  see  ;  and  Mirandy  said,  '  do  pay  him,  pa,  he 
must  be  tired  to  death  '  —  and  don't  you  think,  he 
went  to  a  big  desk  in  the  corner,  and  took  out  a  box, 
and  'twas  full  most  of  money  —  lots!  oh!  and  he 
gave  me  mine — and — that's  all;  and  I'm  tired  to 


And  How  2 hey  Grew.  83 

death."  And  Joel  flung  himself  down  on  the  floor, 
expanded  his  legs  as  only  Joel  could,  and  took  a 
comfortable  roll. 

"So  you  must  be,"  said  Polly,  pityingly,  "waiting 
at  those  Peterses." 

"  Don't  ever  want  to  see  any  more  Peterses,"  said 
Joel ;  "  never,  never,  never  /" 

"Oh,  dear,"  thought  Polly,  as  she  sewed  on  into 
the  afternoon,  "  I  wonder  what  does  ail  my  eyes ! 
feels  just  like  sand  in  'em  ;"  and  she  rubbed  and 
rubbed  to  thread  her  needle.  But  she  was  afraid  her 
mother  would  see,  so  she  kept  at  her  sewing.  Once 
in  a  while  the  bad  feeling  would  go  away,  and  then 
she  would  forget  all  about  it.  "  There  now,  who  says 
J  can't  do  it !  that's  most  done,"  she  cried,  jumping 
up,  and  spinning  across  the  room,  to  stretch  herself 
a  bit,  "  and  to-morrow  I'll  finish  it." 

"Well,"  said  Mrs.  Pepper,  "if  you  can  do  that, 
Polly,  you'll  be  the  greatest  help  I've  had  yet." 

So  Polly  tucked  herself  into  the  old  shake-down 
with  a  thankful  heart  that  night,  hoping  for  morning. 

Alas  !  when  morning  did  come,  Polly  could  hardly 
move.  The  measles  !  what  should  she  do  !  A  faint 
hope  of  driving  them  off  made  her  tumble  out  of 
bed,  and  stagger  across  the  room  to  look  in  the  old 
cracked  looking-glass.  All  hope  was  gone  as  the 


84  Five  Little  Peppers  ; 

red  reflection  met  her  gaze.  Polly  was  on  the  sick 
list  now  ! 

"  I  won't  be  sick,"  she  said  ;  "  at  any  rate,  I'll 
keep  around."  An  awful  feeling  made  her  clutch  the 
back  of  a  chair,  but  she  managed  somehow  to  get 
into  her  clothes,  and  go  groping  blindly  into  the 
kitchen.  Somehow,  Polly  couldn't  see  veiy  well. 
She  tried  to  set  the  table,  but  'twas  no  use.  "  Oh, 
dear,"  she  thought,  "  whatever'll  mammy  do  ? " 

"  Hulloa ! "  said  Joel,  coming  in,  "  what's  the  mat- 
ter, Polly  ?  " 

Polly  started  at  his  sudden  entrance,  and,  wavering 
a  minute,  fell  over  in  a  heap. 

"Oh  ma!  ma!"  screamed  Joel,  running  to  the 
foot  of  the  stairs  leading  to  the  loft,  where  Mrs. 
Pepper  was  with  Ben ;  "  something's  taken  Polly ! 
and  she,  fell  ;  and  I  guess  she's  in  the  wood-box  ! " 


And  How  They  Grew,  85 


CHAPTER  VI. 

HARD    DAYS    FOR    POLLY. 

MA,"  said  David,  coming  softly  into  the  bed- 
room, where  poor  Polly  lay  on  the  bed  with 
Phronsie,  her  eyes  bandaged  with  a  soft  old  handker- 
chief, "I'll  set  the  table." 

"  There  isn't  any  table  to  set,"  said  Mrs.  Pepper, 
sadly ;  "  there  isn't  anybody  to  eat  anything,  Davie  ; 
you  and  Joel  can  get  something  out  of  the  cup- 
board." 

"Can  we  get  whatever  we've  a  mind  to,  ma?" 
cried  Joel,  who  followed  Davie,  rubbing  his  face  with 
a  towel  after  his  morning  ablutions. 

"Yes,"  replied  his  mother,  absently. 

"  Come  on,  Dave ! "  cried  Joel ;  "  we'll  have  a 
breakfast ! " 

"We  mustn't,"  said  little  Davie,  doubtfully,  "eat 
the  7v/wfe,  Joey." 


86  Five  Little  Peppers  ; 

But  that  individual  already  had  his  head  in  fhe 
cupboard,  which  soon  engrossed  them  both. 

Dr.  Fisher  was  called  in  the  middle  of  the  morn- 
ing to  see  what  was  the  matter  with  Polly's  eyes. 
The  little  man  looked  at  her  keenly  over  his  specta- 
cles ;  then  he  said,  "  When  were  you  taken  ?  " 

"This  morning,"  answered  Polly,  her  eyes  smart- 
ing. 

"  Didn't  you  feel  badly  before  ? "  questioned  the 
doctor. 

Polly  thought  back;  and  then  she  remembered 
that  she  had  felt  very  badly ;  that  when  she  was  bak- 
ing over  the  old  stove  the  day  before  her  back  had 
ached  dreadfully  ;  and  that,  somehow,  when  she  sat 
down  to  sew,  it  didn't  stop ;  only  her  eyes  had  both- 
ered her  so ;  she  didn't  mind  her  back  so  much. 

"I  thought  so,"  said  the  doctor,  when  Polly  an- 
swered. "  And  those  eyes  of  yours  have  been  used 
too  much  ;  what  has  she  been  doing,  ma'am  ?  "  He 
turned  around  sharply  on  Mrs.  Pepper  as  he  asked  this. 

"Sewing,"  said  Mrs.  Pepper,  "and  everything; 
Polly  does  everything,  sir." 

"Humph!"  said  the  doctor;  "well,  she  won't 
again  in  one  spell ;  her  eyes  are  very  bad." 

At  this  a  whoop,  small  but  terrible  to  hear,  came 
from  the  middle  of  the  bed ;  and  Phronsie  sat  bolt 


And  How  They  Grew.  87 

upright.  Everybody  started  ;  while  Phronsie  broke 
out,  "  Don't  make  my  Polly  sick  !  oh  !  please  don't !  " 

"  Hey  ! "  said  the  doctor ;  and  he  looked  kindly 
at  the  small  object  with  a  very  red  face  in  the  middle 
of  the  bed.  Then  he  added,  gently,  "  We're  going  to 
make  Polly  well,  little  girl ;  so  that  she  can  see 
splendidly." 

"  Will  you,  really  ?  "  asked  the  child,  doubtfully. 

"  Yes,"  said  the  doctor ;  "  we'll  try  hard  ;  and  you 
mustn't  cry ;  'cause  then  Polly  '11  cry,  and  that  will 
make  her  eyes  very  bad ;  very  bad  indeed,"  he  re- 
peated, impressively. 

"  I  won't  cry,"  said  Phronsie ;  "  no,  not  one  bit." 
And  she  wiped  off  the  last  tear  with  her  fat  little 
hand,  and  watched  to  see  what  next  was  to  be  done. 

And  Polly  was  left,  very  rebellious  indeed,  in  the 
big  bed,  with  a  cooling  lotion  on  the  poor  eyes,  that 
somehow  didn't  cool  them  one  bit. 

"  If  'twas  anythin'  but  my  eyes,  mammy,  I  could 
stand  it,"  she  bewailed,  flouncing  over  and  over  in 
her  impatience  ;  "  and  who'll  do  all  the  work  now  ?  " 

"  Don't  think  of  the  work,  Polly,"  said  Mrs. 
Pepper. 

"  I  can't  do  anything  but  think,"  said  poor  Polly. 

Just  at  that  moment  a  queer  noise  out  in  the 
kitchen  was  heard. 


88  Five  Little  Peppers  ; 

"  Do  go  out,  mother,  and  see  what  'tis,"  said  Polly. 

"  I've  come,"  said  a  cracked  voice,  close  up  by  the 
bedroom  door,  followed  by  a  big  black  cap,  which 
could  belong  to  no  other  than  Grandma  Bascom, 
"  to  set  by  you  a  spell ;  what's  the  matter  ?  "  she 
asked,  and  stopped,  amazed  to  see  Polly  in  bed. 

"  Oh,  Polly's  taken,"  screamed  Mrs.  Pepper  in  her 
ear. 

"  Taken  /"  repeated  the  old  lady  ;  "  what  is  it  —  a 
fit  ?  " 

"  No,"  said  Mrs.  Pepper  ;  "  the  same  as  Ben's  got ; 
and  Phronsie;  the  measles" 

"  The  measles,  has  she  ?  "  said  grandma  ;  "  well, 
that's  bad  ;  and  Ben's  away,  you  say." 

"  No,  he  isn't  either,"  screamed  Mrs.  Pepper,  "  he's 
got  them,  too  !  " 

"  Got  two  what  ?  "  asked  grandma. 

"Measles!  he's  got  the  measles  too,"  repeated 
Mrs.  Pepper,  loud  as  she  could  ;  so  loud  that  the  old 
lady's  cap  trembled  at  the  noise. 

"Oh!  the  dreadful!"  said  grandma;  "and  this 
girl  too  ?  "  laying  her  hand  on  Phronsie's  head. 

"Yes,"  said  Mrs.  Pepper,  feeling  it  a  little  relief 
to  tell  over  her  miseries  ;  "  all  three  of  them  ! " 

"/  haven't,"  said  Joel,  coming  in  in  hopes  that 
grandma  had  a  stray  peppermint  or  two  in  her 


And  How  They  Grew.  89 

pocket,  as  she  sometimes  did;  "and  I'm  not  going 
to,  either." 

"  Oh,  dear,"  groaned  his  mother ;  "  that's  what 
Polly  said;  and  she's  got 'em  bad.  It's  her  eyes," 
she  screamed  to  grandma,  who  looked  inquiringly. 

"  Her  eyes,  is  it  ?  "  asked  Mrs.  Bascom  ;  "  well, 
I've  got  a  receet  that  cousin  Samanthy's  folks  had 
when  John's  children  had  'em ;  and  I'll  run  right 
along  home  and  get  it,"  and  she  started  to  go. 

"  No,  you  needn't,"  screamed  Mrs.  Pepper  ;  "  thank 
you,  Mrs.  Bascom  ;  but  Dr.  Fisher's  been  here  ;  and 
he  put  something  on  Polly's  eyes ;  and  he  said  it 
mustn't  be  touched." 

"  Hey  ? "  said  the  old  lady  ;  so  Mrs.  Pepper  had 
to  go  all  over  it  again,  till  at  last  she  made  her  un- 
derstand that  Polly's  eyes  were  taken  care  of,  and 
they  must  wait  for  time  to  do  the  rest. 

"You  come  along  of  me,"  whispered  grandma, 
when  at  last  her  call  was  done,  to  Joel  who  stood  by 
the  door.  "  I've  got  some  peppermints  to  home ;  I 
forgot  to  bring  'em." 

"  Yes'm,"  said  Joel,  brightening  up. 

"  Where  you  going,  Joe  ?  "  asked  Mrs.  Pepper,  see- 
ing him  move  off  with  Mrs.  Bascom  ;  "  I  may  want 
you." 


go  Five  Little  Peppers  ; 

"  Oh,  I've  got  to  go  over  to  grandma's,"  said  Joel 
briskly  ;  "  she  wants  me." 

"  Well,  don't  be  gone  long  then,"  replied  his  mother. 

"  There,"  said  grandma,  going  into  her  "  keeping- 
room  "  to  an  old-fashioned  chest  of  drawers ;  open- 
ing one,  she  took  therefrom  a  paper,  from  which  she 
shook  out  before  Joe's  delighted  eyes  some  red  and 
white  peppermint  drops.  "  There  now,  you  take 
these  home ;  you  may  have  some,  but  be  sure  you 
give  the  most  to  the  sick  ones;  and  Polly  —  let 
Polly  have  the  biggest." 

"  She  won't  take  'em,"  said  Joel,  wishing  he  had 
the  measles. 

."Well,  you  try  her,"  said  grandma;  "run  along 
now."  But  it  was  useless  to  tell  Joel  that,  for  he  was 
half-way  home  already.  He  carried  out  grandma's 
wishes,  and  distributed  conscientiously  the  precious 
drops.  But  when  he  came  to  Polly,  she  didn't  an- 
swer ;  and  looking  at  her  in  surprise  he  saw  two  big 
tears  rolling  out  under  the  bandage  and  wetting  the 
pillow. 

"  I  don't  want  'em,  Joe,"  said  Polly,  when  he  made 
her  understand  that  "  'twas  peppermints,  real  pep- 
permints;  "  "you  may  have  'em." 

"Try  one,  Polly;  they're   real  good,"   said  Joel, 


And  How  They  Grew,  91 

who  had  an  undefined  wish  to  comfort ;  "  there,  open 
your  mouth." 

So  Polly  opened  her  mouth,  and  Joel  put  one  in 
with  satisfaction. 

"  Isn't  it  good  ?  "  he  asked,  watching  her  crunch  it. 

"  Yes,"  said  Polly,  "  real  good ;  where'd  you  get 
'em  ? " 

"  Over  to  grandma  Bascom's,"  said  Joel ;  "  she 
gave  me  lots  for  all  of  us ;  have  another,  Polly  ? " 

"  No,"  said  Polly,  "  not  yet ;  you  put  two  on  my 
pillow  where  I  can  reach  'em  ;  and  then  you  keep  the 
rest,  Joel." 

"  I'll  put  three,"  said  Joel,  counting  out  one  red  and 
two  white  ones,  and  laying  them  on  the  pillow ; 
11  there  !  " 

"And  I  want  another,  Joey,  I  do"  said  Phronsie 
from  the  other  side  of  the  bed. 

"  Well,  you  may  have  one,"  said  Joel ;  "  a  red  one, 
Phronsie  ;  yes,  you  may  have  two.  Now  come  on, 
Dave ;  we'll  have  the  rest  out  by  the  wood-pile." 

How  they  ever  got  through  that  day,  I  don't  know 
But  late  in  the  afternoon  carriage  wheels  were  heard ; 
and  then  they  stopped  right  at  the  Peppers'  little 
brown  gate. 

"  Polly,"  said  Mrs.  Pepper,  running  to  the  bed- 
room door,  "  it's  Mrs.  Henderson  !  " 


g  2  Five  Little  Peppers  ; 

"  Is  it  ? "  said  Polly,  from  the  darkened  room, 
"  oh  !  I'm  so  glad  !  is  Miss  Jerushy  with  her  ?  "  she 
asked,  fearfully. 

"  No,"  said  Mrs.  Pepper,  going  back  to  ascertain  • 
"  why,  it's  the  parson  himself  !  Deary !  how  we 
look  !  " 

"  Never  mind,  mammy,"  called  back  Polly,  longing 
to  spring  out  of  bed  and  fix  up  a  bit. 

"  I'm  sorry  to  hear  the  children  are  sick,"  said 
Mrs.  Henderson,  coming  in,  in  her  sweet,  gentle  way. 

"  We  didn't  know  it,"  said  the  minister,  "  until 
this  morning —  can  we  see  them  ?  " 

"Oh  yes,  sir/'  said  Mrs.  Pepper;  "Ben's  up- 
stairs ;  and  Polly  and  Phronsie  are  in  here." 

"  Poor  little  things  ! "  said  Mrs.  Henderson,  com- 
passionately ;  "  hadn't  you  better/'  turning  to  the 
minister,  "  go  up  and  see  Ben  first,  while  I  will  visit 
the  little  girls  ?" 

So  the  minister  mounted  the  crooked  stairs ;  and 
Mrs.  Henderson  went  straight  up  to  Polly's  side  ; 
and  the  first  thing  Polly  knew,  a  cool,  gentle  hand 
was  laid  on  her  hot  head,  and  a  voice  said,  "  I've 
come  to  see  my  little  chicken  now !  " 

"  Oh,  ma'am/'  said  Polly,  bursting  into  a  sob,  "  I 
don't  care  about  my  eyes  —  only  mammy  —  "  and 
she  broke  right  down. 


And  How  They  Grew.  93 

"  I  know/'  said  the  minister's  wife,  soothingly ; 
"  but  it's  for  you  to  bear  patiently,  Polly  —  what  do 
you  suppose  the  chicks  were  doing  when  I  came 
away  ? "  And  Mrs.  Henderson,  while  she  held 
Polly's  hand,  smiled  and  nodded  encouragingly  to 
Phronsie,  who  was  staring  at  her  from  the  other  side 
of  the  bed. 

u  I  don't  know,  ma'am,"  said  Polly ;  "  please  tell 
us." 

"  Well,  they  were  all  fighting  over  a  grasshopper 
—  yes,  ten  of  them." 

"  Which  one  got  it  ? "  asked  Polly  in  intense  in- 
terest ;  "  oh  !  I  hope  the  white  one  did  !  " 

"  Well,  he  looked  as  much  like  winning  as  any  of 
them,"  said  the  lady,  laughing. 

"  Bless  her !  "  thought  Mrs.  Pepper  to  herself  out 
in  the  kitchen,  finishing  the  sack  Polly  had  left; 
"she's  a  parson's  wife,  /say  !  " 

And  then  the  minister  came  down  from  Ben's 
room,  and  went  into  the  bedroom ;  and  Mrs.  Render- 
son  went  up-stairs  into  the  loft. 

"  So,"  he  said  kindly,  as  after  patting  Phronsie's 
head  he  came  over  and  sat  down  by  Polly,  "  this  is 
the  little  girl  who  came  to  see  me  when  I  was  sick." 

"  Oh,  sir,"  said  Polly,  "  I'm   so  glad  you  wasn't !  " 

"  Well,  when  I  come  again,"  said  Mr.  Henderson, 


94  Fnv  Little  Peppers; 

rising  after  a  merry  chat,  "  I  see  I  shall  have  to  slip 
a  book  into  my  pocket,  and  read  for  those  poor  eyes." 

"  Oh,  thank  you  \  "  cried  Polly ;  and  then  she 
stopped  and  blushed. 

"  Well,  what  is  it  ?  "  asked  the  minister,  encourag- 
ingly. 

"  Ben  loves  to  hear  reading,"  said  Polly. 

"  Does  he  ?  well,  by  that  time,  my  little  girl,  I 
guess  Ben  will  be  down-stairs  ;  he's  all  right,  Polly  ; 
don't  you  worry  about  him  —  and  I'll  sit  in  the 
kitchen,  by  the  bedroom  door,  and  you  can  hear 
nicely." 

So  the  Hendersons  went  away.  But  somehow, 
before  they  went,  a  good  many  things  found  their 
way  out  of  the  old-fashioned  chaise  into  the  Peppers' 
little  kitchen. 

But  Polly's  eyes  didn't  get  any  better,  with  all  the 
care ;  and  the  lines  of  worry  on  Mrs.  Pepper's  face 
grew  deeper  and  deeper.  At  last,  she  just  confronted 
Dr.  Fisher  in  the  kitchen,  one  day  after  his  visit  to 
Poll}',  and  boldly  asked  him  if  they  ever  could  be 
cured.  "  I  know  she's  —  and  there  isn't  any  use 
keeping  it  from  me,"  said  the  poor  woman  —  "she's 
going  to  be  stone-blind  1 " 

"  My  good  woman  "  —  Dr.  Fisher's  voice  was  very 
gentle;  and  he  took  the  hard,  brown  hand  in  his 


And  How  They  Grew.  ge 

own  —  "  your  little  girl  will  not  be  blind ;  I  tell  you 
the  truth  ;  but  it  will  take  some  time  to  make  her 
eyes  quite  strong  —  time,  and  rest.  She  has  strained 
them  in  some  way,  but  she  will  come  out  of  it." 

"  Praise  the  Lord  !  "  cried  Mrs.  Pepper,  throwing 
her  apron  over  her  head  ;  and  then  she  sobbed  on, 
"and  you,  sir — I  can't  ever  thank  you — for  —  for 
—  if  Polly  was  blind,  we  might  as  well  give  up  ! " 

The  next  day,  Phronsie,  who  had  the  doctor's  per- 
mission to  sit  up,  only  she  was  to  be  kept  from  tak- 
ing cold,  scampered  around  in  stocking-feet  in  search 
of  her  shoes,  which  she  hadn't  seen  since  she  was 
first  taken  sick. 

"  Oh,  I  want  on  my  very  best  shoes,"  she  cried ; 
"  can't  I,  mammy  ?  " 

"  Oh,  no,  Phronsie  ;  you  must  keep  them  nice,"  re- 
monstrated her  mother  ;  "  you  can't  wear  'em  every- 
day, you  know." 

"  'Tisn't  every-day,"  said  Phronsie,  slowly ;  it's 
only  one  day." 

"Well,  and  then  you'll  want  'em  on  again  to- 
morrow," said  her  mother. 

"Oh,  no,  I  won't!"  cried  Phronsie;  "never,  no 
more  to-morrow,  if  I  can  have  'em  to-day ;  please, 
mammy  dear  !  " 

Mrs.  Pepper    went   to   the    lowest   drawer   in   the 


96  Five  Little  Peppers  ; 

high  bureau,  and  took  therefrom  a  small  parcel  done 
up  in  white  tissue  paper.  Slowly  unrolling  this  be- 
fore the  delighted  eyes  of  the  child,  who  stood 
patiently  waiting,  she  disclosed  the  precious  red- 
topped  shoes  which  Phronsie  immediately  clasped  to 
her  bosom. 

"  My  own,  very  own  shoes  !  whole  mine  !  "  she 
cried,  and  trudged  out  into  the  kitchen  to  put  them 
on  herself. 

"  Hulloa  !  "  cried  Dr.  Fisher,  coming  in  about  a 
quarter  of  an  hour  later  to  find  her  tugging  labori- 
ously at  the  buttons  —  "  new  shoes  !  I  declare  !  " 

"  My  own  !  "  cried  Phronsie,  sticking  out  one  foot 
for  inspection,  where  every  button  was  in  the  wrong 
button-hole,  "  and  they've  got  red  tops,  too  !  " 

"  So  they  have,"  said  the  doctor,  getting  down  on 
the  floor  beside  her;  "beautiful  red  tops,  aren't 
they  ? " 

"  Re-yew-fi-ful,"  sang  the  child  delightedly. 

"  Does  Polly  have  new  shoes  every  day  ? "  asked 
the  doctor  in  a  low  voice,  pretending  to  examine  the 
other  foot. 

Phronsie  opened  her  eyes  very  wide  at  this. 

'•  Oh,  no,  she  don't  have  anything,  Polly  don't." 

"  And  what  does  Polly  want  most  of  all  —  do  you 
know?  see  if  you  can  tell  me."  And  the  doctor  put 


And  How  They  Grew.  97 

on  the  most  alluring  expression  that  he  could  muster. 

"  Oh,  I  know ! "  cried  Phronsie,  with  a  very  wise 
look. 

"  There  now,"  cried  the  doctor,  "  you're  the  girl 
for  me  !  to  think  you  know  !  so,  what  is  it  ?  " 

Phronsie  got  up  very  gravely,  and  with  one  shoe 
half  on,  she  leaned  over  and  whispered  in  the 
doctor's  ear : 

"A  stove /" 

"kwhatl"  said  the  doctor,  looking  at  her,  and 
then  at  the  old,  black  thing  in  the  corner,  that  looked 
as  if  it  were  ashamed  of  itself;  "  why,  she's  got  one." 

"Oh,"  said  the  child,  "it  won't  burn  ;  and  some- 
times Polly  cries,  she  does,  when  she's  all  alone  — 
and  I  see  her."  . 

"  Now,"  said  the  doctor,  very  sympathetically, 
"  that's  too  bad  ;  that  is !  and  then  what  does  she  do  ? " 

"Oh,  Ben  stuffs  it  up,"  said  the  child,  laughing; 
"and  so  does  Polly  too,  with  paper;  and  then  it  all 
tumbles  out  quick ;  oh  !  just  as  quick ! "  And 
Phronsie  shook  her  yellow  head  at  the  dismal  re- 
membrance. 

"  Do  you  suppose,"  said  the  doctor,  getting  up, 
"that  you  know  of  any  smart  little  girl  around  here, 
about  four  years  old  and  that  knows  how  to  button 
on  her  own  red-topped  shoes,  that  would  like  to  go 


98 


Five  Little.  Peppers  ; 


to  ride  to-morrow  morning  in  my  carriage  with  me  ? " 
"  Oh,  I  do  !  "  cried  Phronsie,  hopping  on  one  toe  ; 

"it's  me/" 

"  Very  well,  then,"  said   Dr.   Fisher,  going  to  the 


POLLY'S  DESPAIR. 


bedroom  door,    "  we'll  look  out  for  to-morrow,  then." 
To  poor  Polly,  lying  in  the  darkened  room,  or  sit- 


And  How  They  Grew.  99 

ting  up  in  the  big  rocking-chair  —  for  Polly  wasn't 
really  very  sick  in  other  respects,  the  disease  having 
all  gone  into  the  merry  brown  eyes  —  the  time  seemed 
interminable.  Not  to  do  anything!  The  very  idea 
at  any  time  would  have  filled  her  active,  wide-awake 
little  body  with  horror ;  and  now,  here  she  was ! 

"  Oh,  dear,  I  can't  bear  it !  "  she  said,  when  she 
knew  by  the  noise  in  the  kitchen  that  everybody  was 
out  there ;  so  nobody  heard,  except  a  fat,  old  black 
spider  in  the  corner,  and  he  didn't  tell  anyone  ! 

"  I  know  it's  a  week,"  she  said,  "  since  dinner- 
time !  If  Ben  were  only  well,  to  talk  to  me." 

"  Oh,  I  say,  Polly,"  screamed  Joel  at  that  moment 
running  in,  "  Ben's  a-comin'  down  the  stairs  !  " 

"  Stop,  Joe,"  said  Mrs.  Pepper  ;  "  you  shouldn't 
have  told  ;  he  wanted  to  surprise  Polly." 

"  Oh,  is  he  !  "  cried  Polly,  clasping  her  hands  in 
rapture  ;  "  mammy,  can't  I  take  off  this  horrid  band- 
age, and  see  him  ?  " 

"  Dear  me,  no  !  "  said  Mrs.  Pepper,  springing  for- 
ward ;  "  not  for  the  world,  Polly !  Dr.  Fisher'd  have 
our  ears  off !  " 

"  Well,  I  can  hear,  any  way,"  said  Polly,  resigning 
herself  to  the  remaining  comfort ;  "  here  he  is !  oh, 
Ben  !  " 

"There,"  said   Ben,  grasping   Polly,  bandage   and 


ioo  Five  Little  Peppers  ; 

ail ;  "  now  we're  all  right ;  and  I  say,  Polly,  you're  a 
brick  ! " 

"  Mammy  told  me  not  to  say  that  the  other  day," 
said  Joel,  with  a  very  virtuous  air. 

"  Can't  help  it,"  said  Ben,  who  was  a  little  wild 
over  Polly,  and  besides,  he  had  been  sick  himself, 
and  had  borne  a  good  deal  too. 

"Now,"  said  Mrs.  Pepper,  after  the  first  excite- 
ment was  over,  "  you're  so  comfortable  together,  and 
Phronsie  don't  want  me  now,  I'll  go  to  the  store  ;  I 
must  get  some  more  work  if  Mr.  Atkins  '11  give  it  to 
me." 

"  I'll  be  all  right  now,  mammy,  that  Ben's  here," 
cried  Polly,  settling  back  into  her  chair,  with  Phronsie 
on  the  stool  at  her  feet. 

"  I'm  goin'  to  tell  her  stories,  ma,"  cried  Ben,  "  so 
you  needn't  worry  about  us." 

"  Isn't  it  funny,  Ben,"  said  Polly,  as  the  gate 
clicked  after  the  mother,  "to  be  sitting  still,  and 
telling  stories  in  the  daytime  ? " 

"  Rather  funny  !  "  replied  Ben. 

"  Well,  do  go  on,"  said  Joel,  as  usual,  rolling  on 
the  floor,  in  a  dreadful  hurry  for  the  story  to  begin. 
Little  David  looked  up  quietly,  as  he  sat  on  Ben's 
other  side,  his  hands  clasped  tight  together,  just  as 
eager,  though  he  said  nothing. 


And  How  They  Grew.  101 

"Well  ;  once  upon  a  time,"  began  Ben  delightfully, 
and  launched  into  one  of  the  stories  that  the  children 
thought  perfectly  lovely. 

'•  Oh,  Bensie,"  cried  Polly,  entranced,  as  they 
listened  with  bated  breath,  "  however  do  you  think  of 
such  nice  things  !  " 

"  I've  had  time  enough  to  think,  the  last  week," 
said  Ben,  laughing,  "  to  last  a  life-time  !  " 

" Do  go  on"  put  in  Joel,  impatient  at  the  delay. 

"Don't  hurry  him  so,"  said  Polly,  reprovingly; 
"he  isn't  strong." 

"  Ben,"  said  David,  drawing  a  long  breath,  his  eyes 
very  big —  "  did  he  really  see  a  bear?  " 

"  No,"  said  Ben  ;  "  oh  !  where  was  I  ?  " 

"  Why,  you  said  Tommy  heard  a  noise,"  said 
Polly,  "  and  he  thought  it  was  a  bear." 

"Oh,  yes,"  said  Ben;  "I  remember,  'twasn't  a  —  " 

"  Oh,  make  it  a  bear,  Ben  !  "  cried  Joel,  terribly  dis- 
appointed ;  "  don't  let  it  be  not  a  bear." 

"  Why,  I  can't/'  said  Ben  ;  "  'twouldn't  sound  true." 

"  Never  mind,  make  it  sound  true,"  insisted  Joel 
"you  can  make  anything  true." 

"Very  well,"  said  Ben,  laughing;  "I  suppose  I 
must." 

"  Make  it  two  bears,  Ben,"  begged  little  Phronsie. 

"  Oh,  no,  Phronsie,   that's  too  much,"  cried  Joel ; 


IO2  Five  Little  Peppers  ; 

"  that'll  spoil  it ;  but  make  it  a  big  bear,  do  Ben,  and 
have  him  bite  him  somewhere,  and  most  kill  him." 

"  Oh,  Joel !  "  cried  Polly,  while  David's  eyes  got 
bigger  than  ever. 

So  Ben  drew  upon  his  powers  as  story-teller,  to 
suit  his  exacting  audience,  and  was  making  his  bear 
work  havoc  upon  poor  Tommy  in  a  way  captivating 
t«  all,  even  Joel,  when 

"  Well,  I  declare,"  sounded  Mrs.  Pepper's  cheery 
voice  coming  in  upon  them,  "if  this  isn't  comfort- 
able !  " 

"  Oh,  mammy  !  "  cried  Phronsie,  jumping  out  of 
Polly's  arms,  whither  she  had  taken  refuge  during 
the  thrilling  tale,  and  running  to  her  mother  who 
gathered  her  baby  up,  "  we've  had  a  bear  !  a  real, 
live  bear,  we  have  !  Ben  made  him  !  " 

"Have  you!"  said  Mrs.  Pepper,  taking  off  her 
shawl,  and  laying  her  parcel  of  work  down  on  the 
table.  "  now,  that's  nice  !  " 

"  Oh,  mammy !  "  cried  Polly,  "  it  does  seem  so 
good  to  be  all  together  again  !  " 

"  And  I  thank  the  Lord !  "  said  Mrs.  Pepper,  look- 
ing down  on  her  happy  little  group  ;  and  the  tears 
were  in  her  eyes  —  "  and  children,  we  ought  to  be 
very  good  and  please  Him,  for  He's  been  so  good 
to  us." 


And  How  2"hey  Grew.  103 


CHAPTER    VII. 

THE    CLOUD    OVER   THE    LITTLE    BROWN    HOUSE. 

WHEN  Phronsie,  with  many  crows  of  delight, 
and  much  chattering,  had  gotten  fairly 
started  the  following  morning  on  her  much- 
anticipated  drive  with  the  doctor,  the  whole  family 
excepting  Polly  drawn  up  around  the  door  to  see 
them  off,  Mrs.  Pepper  resolved  to  snatch  the  time 
and  run  down  for  an  hour  or  two  to  one  of  her 
customers  who  had  long  been  waiting  for  a  little 
"  tailoring  "  to  be  done  for  her  boys. 

"  Now,  Joel,"  she  said,  putting  on  her  bonnet 
before  the  cracked  looking-glass,  "you  stay  along 
of  Polly ;  Ben  must  go  up  to  bed,  the  doctor  said ; 
and  Davie's  going  to  the  store  for  some  molasses  ;  so 
you  and  Polly  must  keep  house." 

"  Yes  'm,"  said  Joel ;  "  may  I  have  somethin'  to 
eat,  ma  ? " 


1O4  five  Little  Peppers; 

'•  Yes,"  said  Mrs.  Pepper  ;  "  but  don't  you  eat  the 
new  bread ;  you  may  have  as  much  as  you  want  of 
the  old." 

"Isn't  there  any  molasses,  mammy?"  asked  Joel, 
as  she  bade  Polly  good-by !  and  gave  her  number- 
less charges  "  to  be  careful  of  your  eyes,"  and  "  not 
to  let  a  crack  of  light  in  through  the  curtain,"  as  the 
old  green  paper  shade  was  called. 

"  No ;  if  you're  very  hungry,  you  can  eat  bread," 
said  Mrs.  Pepper,  sensibly. 

"  Joel,"  said  Polly,  after  the  mother  had  gone,  "  I 
do  wish  you  could  read  to  me." 

"  Well,  I  can't,"  said  Joel,  glad  he  didn't  know 
how;  "I  thought  the  minister  was  comin'." 

"  Well,  he  was,"  said  Polly,  "  but  mammy  said  he 
had  to  go  out  of  town  to  a  consequence." 

"  A  what !  "  asked  Joel,  very  much  impressed. 

"  A  con — "  repeated  Polly.  "  Well,  it  began  with 
a  con — and  I  am  sure — yes,  -very  sure  it  was  conse- 
quence." 

"  That  must  be  splendid,"  said  Joel,  coming  up  to 
her  chair,  and  slowly  drawing  a  string  he  held  in  his 
hand  back  and  forth,  "  to  go  to  consequences,  and 
everything !  When  I'm  a  man,  Polly  Pepper,  Pm 
going  to  be  a  minister,  and  have  a  nice  time,  and  go 
— just  everywhere  !  " 


And  How  They  Grew.  105 

"  Oh,  Joel !  "  exclaimed  Polly,  quite  shocked  ; 
"you  couldn't  be  one;  you  aren't  good  enough." 

"  I  don't  care,"  said  Joel,  not  at  all  dashed  by  her 
plainness,  "  I'll  be  good  then — when  I'm  a  big  man  ; 
don't  you  suppose,  Polly,"  as  a  new  idea  struck  him, 
"  that  Mr.  Henderson  ever  is  naughty  ?  " 

"  No,"  said  Polly,  very  decidedly  ;  "  never,  never, 
NEVER  !  " 

"  Then,  I  don't  want  to  be  one,"  said  Joel,  veering 
round  with  a  sigh  of  relief,  "  and  besides  I'd  rather 
have  a  pair  of  horses  like  Mr.  Slocum's,  and  then  I 
could  go  everywheres,  I  guess  !  " 

"  And  sell  tin  ?  "  asked  Polly,  "  just  like  Mr.  Slo- 


cum 


"  Yes,"  said  Joel ;  "  this  is  the  way  I'd  go — Gee- 
whop  !  gee-w/wa  /"  and  Joel  pranced  with  his  imagin- 
ary steeds  all  around  the  room,  making  about  as  much 
noise  as  any  other  four  boys,  as  he  brought  up  occa- 
sionally against  the  four-poster  or  the  high  old  bureau. 

"  Well !  "  said  a  voice  close  up  by  Polly's  chair,  that 
made  her  skip  with  apprehension,  it  was  so  like  Miss 
Jerusha  Henderson's — Joel  was  whooping  away  behind 
the  bedstead  to  his  horses  that  had  become  seriously 
entangled,  so  he  didn't  hear  anything.  But  when 
Polly  said,  bashfully,  "  I  can't  see  anything,  ma'am," 


1 06  Five  Little  Peppers  ; 

he  came  up  red  and  shining  to  the  surface,  and  stared 
with  all  his  might. 

"  I  came  to  see  you,  little  girl,"  said  Miss  Jerusha 
severely,  seating  herself  stiffly  by  Polly's  side. 

"Thank  you,  ma'am,"  said  Polly,  faintly. 

"Who's  this  boy?  "  asked  the  lady,  turning  around 
squarely  on  Joel,  and  eying  him  from  head  to  foot. 

"  He's  my  brother  Joel,':  said  Polly. 

Joel  still  stared. 

"  Which  brother  ?  "  pursued  Miss  Jerusha,  like  a 
census-taker. 

"  He  is  next  to  me,"  said  Polly,  wishing  her  mother 
was  home  ;  "  he's  nine,  Joel  is." 

"  He's  big  enough  to  do  something  to  help  his 
mother/'  said  Miss  Jerusha,  looking  him  through  and 
through.  "  Don't  you  think  you  might  do  something, 
when  the  others  are  sick,  and  your  poor  mother  is 
working  so  hard  ?  "  she  continued,  in  a  cold  voice. 

"  I  do  do  something,"  blurted  out  Joel,  sturdily 
"  lots  and  lots  !  " 

"You  shouldn't  say  '  lots,'  "  reproved  Miss  Jerusha, 
with  a  sharp  look  over  her  spectacles,  "  'tisn't  proper 
for  boys  to  talk  so  ;  what  do  you  do  all  day  long  ?  " 
she  asked,  turning  back  to  Polly,  after  a  withering 
glance  at  Joel,  who  still  stared. 


And  How  They  Grew.  107 

"  I  can't  do  anything,  ma'am,"  replied  Polly,  sadly, 
"I  can't  see  to  do  anything." 

"  Well,  you  might  knit,  1  should  think,"  said  her 
visitor,  "  it's  dreadful  for  a  girl  as  big  as  you  are  to 
sit  all  day  idle  ;  I  had  sore  eyes  once  when  I  was  a 
little  girl — how  old  are  you  ?  "  she  asked,  abruptly. 

"  Eleven  last  month,"  said  Polly. 

"  Well,  I  wasn't  only  nine  when  I  knit  a  stocking  \ 
and  I  had  sore  eyes,  too ;  you  see  I  was  a  very  little 
girl,  and — 

u  Was  you  ever  little  ?  "  interrupted  Joel,  in  extreme 
incredulity,  drawing  near,  and  looking  over  the  big 
square  figure. 

"  Hey  ?  "  said  Miss  Jerusha ;  so  Joel  repeated  his 
question  before  Polly  could  stop  him. 

"  Of  course,"  answered  Miss  Jerusha ;  atxl  then 
she  added,  tartly,  "  little  boys  shouldn't  speak  unless 
they're  spoken  to.  Now,"  and  she  turned  back  to 
Polly  again,  "didn't  you  ever  knit  a  stocking  ?  " 

"  No,  ma'am,"  said  Polly,  "not  a  whole  one.  " 

"  Dear  me ! "  exclaimed  Miss  Jerusha ;  "  did  I  ever  1 " 
And  she  raised  her  black  mitts  in  intense  disdain. 
"  A  big  girl  like  you  never  to  knit  a  stocking  !  to  think 
your  mother  should  bring  you  up  so  !  and — " 

"  She  didn't  bring  us  up,"  screamed  Joel,  in  indig-* 
nation,  facing  her  with  blazing  eyes. 


io8  Five  Little  Peppers  ; 

"  Joel,"  said  Polly,  "  be  still." 

"And  you're  very  impertinent,  too,"  said  Miss  Je- 
rusha; "  a  good  child  never  is  impertinent." 

Polly  sat  quite  still  ;  and  Miss  Jerusha  Continued  : 

"  Now,  1  hope  you  will  learn  to  be  industrious;  and 
when  I  come  again,  I  will  see  what  you  have  done." 

"You  aren't  ever  coming  again,"  said  Joel,  defi- 
antly; "no,  never!" 

"  Joel  !"  implored  Polly,  and  in  her  distress  she 
pulled  up  her  bandage  as  she  looked  at  him  ;  "  you 
know  mammy'll  be  so  sorry  at  you  !  Oh,  ma'am,  and  " 
she  turned  to  Miss  Jerusha,  who  was  now  thoroughly 
aroused  to  the  duty  she  saw  before  her  of  doing  these 
children  good,  "I  don't  know  what  is  the  reason, 
ma'am  ;  Joel  never  talks  so  ;  he's  real  good  ;  and  —  " 

"  It  only  shows,"  said  the  lady,  seeing  her  way  quite 
clear  for  a  little  exhortation,  "  that  you've  all  had  your 
own  way  from  infancy  ;  and  that  you  don't  do  what 
you  might  to  make  your  mother's  life  a  happy  one." 

"Oh,  ma'am,"  cried  Polly,  and  she  burst  into  a 
flood  of  tears,  " please, please  don't  say  that!" 

"  And  I  say,"  screamed  Joel,  stamping  his  small 
foot,  "  if  you  make  Polly  cry  you'll  kill  her !  Don't 
Polly,  don't!"  and  the  boy  put  both  arms  around  her 
'neck,  and  soothed  and  comforted  her  in  every  way  he 
could  think  of.  And  Miss  Jerusha,  seeing  no  way  to 


And  ffou'  They  Greio.  109 

make  herself  heard,  disappeared  feeling  pity  for  chil- 
dren who  would  turn  away  from  good  advice. 

But  still  Polly  cried  on ;  all  the  pent-up  feelings 
that  had  been  so  long  controlled  had  free  vent  now. 
She  really  couldn't  stop  !  Joel,  frightened  to  death, 
at  last  said,  "  I'm  going  to  wake  up  Ben." 

That  brought  Polly  to  •  and  she  sobbed  out,  "  Oh, 
no,  Jo — ey — I'll  stop." 

"  I  will,"  said  Joel,  seeing  his  advantage ;  "  I'm 
going,  Polly,"  and  he  started  to  the  foot  of  the  stairs. 

"  No,  I'm  done  now,  Joe,"  said  Polly,  wiping  her 
eyes,  and  choking  back  her  thoughts — "  oh,  Joe  !  I 
must  scream  !  my  eyes  aches  so  ! "  and  poor  Polly 
fairly  writhed  all  over  the  chair. 

"  What'll  I  do  ?  "  said  Joel,  at  his  wits'  end,  running 
back,  "  do  you  want  some  water  ?  " 

"  Oh,  no,"  gasped  Polly  ;  "  doctor  wouldn't  let  me  ; 
oh  !  I  wish  mammy'd  come  !  " 

"  I'll  go  and  look  for  her,"  suggested  Joel,  feeling 
as  if  he  must  do  something  ;  and  he'd  rather  be  out 
at  the  gate,  than  to  see  Polly  suffer. 

"  That  won't  bring  her,"  said  Polly;  trying  to  keep 
still  j  «  I'll  try  to  wait." 

"  Here  she  is  now  !  "  cried  Joel,  peeping  out  of  the 
window  ;  "oh !  goody  !  " 


Mve  J-ittle  Peppers; 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

JOEL'S  TURN. 

WELL  "  —  Mrs.  Pepper's  tone  was  unusually 
blithe  as  she  stepped  into  the  kitchen  — 
"  you've  had  a  nice  time,  I  suppose  —  what  in  the 
world ! "  and  she  stopped  at  the  bedroom  door. 

"Oh,  mammy,  if  you'd  been  here!"  said  Joel, 
while  Polly  sat  still,  only  holding  on  to  her  eyes  as 
if  they  were  going  to  fly  out ;  there's  been  a  big 
woman  here  ;  she  came  right  in  —  and  she  talked 
awfully !  and  Polly's  been  a-cryin',  and  her  eyes 
ache  dreadfully — and" — 

"  Been  crying  !  "  repeated  Mrs.  Pepper,  coining 
up  to  poor  Poll}7.  "  Polly  been  crying  !  "  she  still 
repeated. 

"Oh,  mamy,  I  couldn't  help  it,"  said  Polly;  "she 
said" — and  in  spite  of  all  she  could  do,  the  rain  of 


And  How  They  Grew.  in 

tears  began  again,  which  bade  fair  to  be  as  uncon- 
trolled as  before.  But  Mrs.  Pepper  took  her  up  firmly 
in  her  arms,  as  if  she  were  Phronsie,  and  sat  down  in 
the  old  rocking  chair  and  just  patted  her  back. 

"There,  there,"  she  whispered,  soothingly,  "don't 
think  of  it,  Polly ;  mother's  got  home." 

"  Oh,  mammy,"  said  Polly,  crawling  up  to  the  com- 
fortable neck  for  protection,  "  I  ought  not  to  mind ; 
but  'twas  Miss  Jerusha  Henderson  ;  and  she  said  —  " 

"  What  did  she  say  ?  "  asked  Mrs.  Pepper,  thinking 
perhaps  it  to  be  the  wiser  thing  to  let  Polly  free  her 
mind. 

"  Oh,  she  said  that  we  ought  to  be  doing  something ; 
and  I  ought  to  knit,  and"  — 

"Go  on,"  said  her  mother. 

"  And  then  Joel  got  naughty ;  oh,  mammy,  he  never 
did  so  before ;  and  I  couldn't  stop  him,"  cried  Polly, 
in  great  distress;  "I  really  couldn't,  mammy  —  and 
he  talked  to  her ;  and  he  told  her  she  wasn't  ever 
coming  here  again." 

"Joel  shouldn't  have  said  that,"  said  Mrs.  Pepper, 
and  under  her  breath  something  was  added  that  Polly 
even  failed  to  hear  —  "but  no  more  she  isn't !  " 

"And,  mammy,"  cried  Polly  —  and  she  flung  her 
arms  around  her  mother's  neck  and  gave  her  a  grasp 
that  nearly  choked  Mrs.  Pepper,  "  ain't  I  helpin'  you 


1 1 2  Five  Little  Peppers  ; 

some,  mammy  ?  Oh  !  I  wish  I  could  do  something 
big  for  you  ?  Ain't  you  happy,  mammy  ? " 

"  For  the  land's  sakes  !  "  cried  Mrs.  Pepper,  strain- 
ing Polly  to  her  heart,  "  whatever  has  that  woman  — 
whatever  could  she  have  said  to  you  ?  Such  a  girl  as 
you  are,  too  !  "  cried  Mrs.  Pepper,  hugging  Polly, 
and  covering  her  with  kisses  so  tender,  that  Polly, 
warmed  and  cuddled  up  to  her  heart's  content,  was 
comforted  to  the  full. 

"  Well,"  said  Mrs.  Pepper,  when  at  last  she  thought 
she  had  formed  between  Polly  and  Joel  about  the 
right  idea  of  the  visit,  "  well,  now  we  won't  think  of 
it,  ever  any  more  ;  tisn't  worth  it,  Polly,  you  know." 

But  poor  Polly !  and  poor  mother !  They  both 
were  obliged  to  think  of  it.  Nothing  could  avert  the 
suffering  of  the  next  few  days,  caused  by  that  long 
flow  of  burning  tears. 

"  Nothing  feels  good  on  'em,  mammy,"  said  Polly, 
at  last,  twisting  her  hands  in  the  vain  attempt  to  keep 
from  rubbing  the  aching,  inflamed  eyes  that  drove 
her  nearly  wild  with  their  itching,  "  there  isn't  any  use 
in  trying  anything." 

"  There  will  be  use/'  energetically  protested  Mrs. 
Pepper,  bringing  another  cool  bandage,  "  as  long  as 
you've  got  an  eye  in  your  head,  Polly  Pepper  !  " 

Dr.  Fisher's  face,  when  he  first  saw  the  change  that 


And  How  They  Greiu. 

the  fateful  visit  had  wrought,  and  heard  the  accounts, 
was  very  grave  indeed.  Everything  had  been  so 
encouraging  on  his  last  visit,  that  he  had  come  very 
near  promising  Polly  speedy  freedom  from  the  hate- 
ful bandage. 

But  the  little  Pepper  household  soon  had  some- 
thing else  to  think  of  more  important  even  than 
Polly's  eyes,  for  now  the  heartiest,  the  jolliest  of  all 
the  little  group  was  down  —  Joel.  How  he  fell  sick, 
they  scarcely  knew,  it  all  came  so  suddenly.  The 
poor,  bewildered  family  had  hardly  time  to  think, 
before  delirium  and,  perhaps,  death  stared  them  in 
the  face. 

When  Polly  first  heard  it,  by  Phronsie's  pattering 
down-stairs  and  screaming :  "  Oh,  Polly,  Joey's 
dre-ad-ful  sick,  he  is  / "  she  jumped  right  up,  and 
tore  off  the  bandage. 

"  Now,  I  will  help  mother  !  I  will,  so  there.'"  and 
in  another  minute  she  would  have  been  up  in  the  sick 
room.  But  the  first  thing  she  knew,  a  gentle  but  firm 
hand  was  laid  upon  hers ;  and  she  found  herself 
back  again  in  the  old  rocking-chair,  and  listening  to 
the  Doctor's  words  which  were  quite  stern  and  de- 
cisive. 

"  Now,  I  tell  you,"  he  said,  "  you  must  not  take 
off  that  bandage  again  ;  do  you  know  the  conse- 


1 14  Five  Little  Peppers  ; 

quences  ?  "  You  will  be  blind  !  and  then  you  will  be 
a  care  to  your  mother  all  your  life  !  " 

"  I  shall  be  blind,  anyway,"  said  Polly,  despair- 
ingly; "so  'twon't  make  any  difference." 

"  No  ;  your  eyes  will  come  out  of  it  all  right,  only 
I  did  hope  "  — and  the  good  doctor's  face  fell —  "  that 
the  other  two  boys  would  escape;  but"  —  and  he 
brightened  up  at  sight  of  Polly's  forlorn  visage  —  "  see 
you  do  your  part  by  keeping  still.'' 

But  there  came  a  day  soon  when  everything  was 
still  around  the  once  happy  little  brown  house  — 
when  only  whispers  were  heard  from  white  lips ;  and 
thoughts  were  fearfully  left  unuttered. 

On  the  morning  of  one  of  these  days,  when  Mrs. 
Pepper  felt  she  could  not  exist  an  hour  longer  with- 
out sleep,  kind  Mrs.  Beebe  came  to  stay  until  things 
were  either  better  or  worse. 

Still  the  cloud  hovered,  dark  and  forbidding.  At 
last,  one  afternoon,  when  Polly  was  all  alone,  she 
could  endure  it  no  longer.  She  flung  herself  down 
by  the  side  of  the  old  bed,  and  buried  her  face  in 
the  gay  patched  bed-quilt. 

"  Dear  God,"  she  said,  "  make  me  willing  to  have 
anything  "  —  she  hesitated  —  "  yes,  anything  happen  ; 
to  be  blind  fo^ever^  ar»d  to  have  Joey  sick,  only  make 
me  good." 


And  How  They  Grew.  115 

How  long  she  staid  there  she  never  knew ;   for  she 
fell  asleep  —  the  first  sleep  she  had  had  since  Joey 


was  taken   sick.     And  little  Mrs.  Beebe  coming  in 
found  her  thus. 

"  Polly/'  the  good  woman  said,  leaning  over  her, 
"you  poor,  pretty  creeter,  you  ;  I'm  goin'  to  tell  you 
somethin'  —  there,  there,  just  to  think  !  Joel's  goin' 
to  get  well ! " 


1 1 6  Five  Little  Peppers  ; 

"  Oh,  Mrs.  Beebe !  "  cried  Polly,  tumbling  over  in 
a  heap  on  the  floor,  her  face,  as  much  as  could  be 
seen  under  the  bandage,  in  a  perfect  glow,  "Is  he, 
really  ?  " 

"Yes,  to  be  sure  ;  the  danger's  all  over  now,"  said 
the  little  old  lady,  inwardly  thinking — "If  I  hadn't 
a-come  !  " 

"  Well,  then,  the  Lord  wants  him  to,"  cried  Polly, 
in  rapture  ;  "  don't  he,  Mrs.  Beebe  ?  " 

"To  be  sure  —  to  be  sure,"  repeated  the  kind 
friend,  only  half  understanding. 

"  Well,  I  don't  care  about  my  eyes,  then,"  cried 
Polly;  and  to  Mrs.  Beebe's  intense  astonishment 
and  dismay,  she  spun  round  and  round  in  the  middle 
of  the  floor. 

"Oh.  Polly,  Polly!"  the  little  old  lady  cried,  run- 
ning up  to  her,  "  do  stop  !  the  doctor  wouldn't  let 
you !  he  wouldn't  really,  you  know !  it'll  all  go  to 
your  eyes." 

"  I  don't  care,"  repeated  Polly,  in  the  middle  of  a 
spin  ;  but  she  stopped  obediently ;  u  seems  as  if  I 
just  as  soon  be  blind  as  not ;  it's  so  beautiful  Joey's 
going  to  get  well !  " 


And  ffow   They   Greu>.  117 


CHAPTER   IX. 

SUNSHINE   AGAIN. 

BUT  as  Joel  was  smitten  down  suddenly,  so  he 
came  up  quickly,  and  his  hearty  nature  asserted 
itself  by  rapid  strides  toward  returning  health ;  and 
one  morning  he  astonished  them  all  by  turning  over 
suddenly  and  exclaiming : 

u  I  want  something  to  eat !  " 

' '  Bless  the  Lord  !  "  cried  Mrs.  Pepper,  "  now  he's 
going  to  live  !  " 

"But  he  mustn't  eat,"  protested  Mrs/Beebe,  in 
great  alarm,  trotting  for  the  cup  of  gruel.  "  Here, 
you  pretty  creeter  you,  here's  something  nice."  And 
she  temptingly  held  the  spoon  over  Joel's  mouth  ;  but 
with  a  grimace  he  turned  away. 


1 1 8  Five  Little  Peppers  ; 

"Oh,  I  want  something  torn//  some  gingerbread 
or  some  bread  and  butter." 

"  Dear  me  !  "  ejaculated  Mrs.  Beebe.  "  Ginger- 
bread ! " 

Poor  Mrs.  Pepper  saw  the  hardest  part  of  her 
trouble  now  before  her,  as  she  realized  that  the  re- 
turning appetite  must  be  fed  only  on  strengthening 
food ;  for  where  it  was  to  come  from  she  couldn't 
tell. 

"  The  Lord  only  knows  where  we'll  get  it,"  she 
groaned  within  herself. 

Yes,  He  knew.  A  rap  at  the  door,  and  little  David 
ran  down  to  find  the  cause. 

"Oh,  mammy,"  he  said,  "  Mrs.  Henderson  sent 
it  — see  !  see!  " 

And  in  the  greatest  excitement  he  placed  in  her 
lap  a  basket  that  smelt  savory  and  nice  even  before 
it  was  opened.  When  it  was  opened,  there  lay  a  little 
bird  delicately  roasted,  and  folded  in  a  clean  napkin  ; 
also  a  glass  of  jelly,  crimson  and  clear. 

"  Oh,  Joey,"  cried  Mrs.  Pepper,  almost  over- 
whelmed with  joy,  "  see  what  Mrs.  Henderson  sent 
you  !  now  you  can  eat  fit  for  a  king  !  " 

That  little  bird  certainly  performed  its  mission  in 
life;  for  as  Mrs.  Beebe  said,  "It  just  touched  the 


And  How   They  Grew.  119 

spot ! "  and  from  that  very  moment  Joel  improved 
so  rapidly  they  could  hardly  believe  their  eyes. 

"  Hoh !  I  haven't  been  sick  ! "  he  cried  on  the 
third  day,  true  to  his  nature.  "  Mammy,  I  want  to 
get  up." 

"Oh,  dear,  no !  you  mustn't,  Joel,"  cried  Mrs.  Pep- 
per in  a  fright,  running  up  to  him  as  he  was  prepar- 
ing to  give  the  bedclothes  a  lusty  kick  ;  "you'll  send 
'em  in." 

"  Send  what  in  ? "  asked  Joel,  looking  up  at  his 
mother  in  terror,  as  the  dreadful  thought  made  him 
pause. 

"Why,  the  measles,  Joey;  they'll  all  go  in  if  you 
get  out." 

"  How  they  goin'  to  get  in  again,  I'd  like  to 
know  ? "  asked  Joel,  looking  at  the  little  red  spots 
on  his  hands  in  incredulity  ;  "  say,  ma  !  " 

"Well,  they  will"  said  his  mother,  "as  you'll 
find  to  your  sorrow  if  you  get  out  of  bed." 

"  Oh,  dear,"  said  Joel,  beginning  to  whimper,  as 
he  drew  into  bed  again,  "when  can  I  get  up, 
mammy ! " 

"  Oh,  in  a  day  or  two,"  responded  Mrs.  Pepper, 
cheerfully ;  "  you're  getting  on  so  finely  you'll  be  as 
smart  as  a  cricket !  Shouldn't  you  say  he  might  get 
up  in  a  day  or  two,  Mrs.  Beebee  ? "  she  appealed  to 


120  Five  Little  Peppers  ; 

that  individual  who  was  knitting  away  cheerily  in  the 
corner. 

"  Well,  if  he  keeps  on  as  he's  begun,  I  shouldn't 
know  what  to  think,"  replied  Mrs.  Beebe.  "  It  beats 
all  how  quick  he's  picked  up.  I  never  see  anything 
like  it,  I'm  sure  !  " 

And  as  Mrs.  Beebe  was  a  great  authority  in  sick- 
ness, the  old,  sunny  cheeriness  began  to  creep  into 
the  brown  house  once  more,  and  to  bubble  over  as  of 
yore. 

"Seems  as  if  'twas  just  good  to  live,"  said  Mrs. 
Pepper,  thankfully  once,  when  her  thoughts  were  too 
much  for  her.  "  I  don't  believe  I  shall  ever  care 
how  poor  we  ave,"  she  continued,"  as  long  as  we're 
together." 

"And  that's  just,  what  the  Lord  meant,  maybe," 
replied  good  Mrs.  Beebe,  who  was  preparing  to  go 
home. 

Joel  kept  the  house  in  a  perfect  uproar  all 
through  his  getting  well.  Mrs.  Pepper  observed  one 
day,  when  he  had  been  more  turbulent  than  usual, 
that  she  was  "  almost  worn  to  a  thread." 

"  'Twasn't  anything  to  take  care  of  you,  Joe,"  she 
added,  "  when  you  were  real  sick,  because  then  I  knew 
where  you  were  ;  but  —  well,  you  won't  ever  have  the 
measles  again,  I  s'pose,  and  that's  some  comfort!  " 


And  How  They  Grew.  121 

Little  David,  who  had  been  nearly  stunned  by  the 
sickness  that  had  laid  aside  his  almost  constant  com- 
panion, could  express  his  satisfaction  and  joy  in  no 
other  way  than  by  running  every  third  minute  and 
begging  to  do  something  for  him.  And  Joel,  who 
loved  dearly  to  be  waited  on,  improved  every  oppor- 
tunity that  offered  ;  which  Mrs.  Pepper  observing, 
soon  put  a  stop  to. 

"You'll  run  his  legs  off,  Joel,"  at  last  she  said, 
when  he  sent  David  the  third  time  down  to  the  wood- 
pile for  a  stick  of  just  the  exact  thickness,  and  which 
the  little  messenger  declared  wasn't  to  be  found. 
"  Haven't  you  any  mercy  ?  You've  kept  him  going  all 
day,  too,"  she  added,  glancing  at  David's  pale  face. 

"Oh,  mammy,"  panted  David,  "don't;  I  love  to 
go.  Here,  Joe,  is  the  best  I  could  find,"  handing 
him  a  nice  smooth  stick. 

"I  know  you  do,"  said  his  mother;  "but  Joe's 
getting  better  now,  and  he  must  learn  to  spare  you." 

"  I  don't  want  to  spare  folks,"  grumbled  Joel,  whit- 
tling away  with  energy  ;  "  I've  been  sick  —  raz/sick/' 
he  added,  lifting  his  chubby  face  to  his  mother  to 
impress  the  fact. 

"  I  know  you  have,"  she  cried,  running  to  kiss  her 
boy;  "but  now,  Joe,  you're  most  well.  To-morrow 


122  Five  Little  Peppers  ; 

I'm  going  to  let  you  go  downstairs ;  what  do  you 
think  of  that!" 

"Hooray!"  screamed  Joel,  throwing  away  the 
stick  and  clapping  his  hands,  forgetting  all  about  his 
serious  illness,  "that'll  \>zprimel" 

"Aren't  you  too  sick  to  go,  Joey?"  asked  Mrs. 
Pepper,  mischievously. 

"  No,  I'm  not  sick,"  cried  Joel,  in  the  greatest  alarm, 
fearful  his  mother  meant  to  take  back  the  promise  ; 
"  I've  never  been  sick.  Oh,  mammy !  you  know 
you'll  let  me  go,  won't  you  ? " 

"  I  guess  so,"  laughed  his  mother. 

"  Come  on,  Phron,"  cried  Joel,  giving  her  a  whirl. 

David,  who  was  too  tired  for  active  sport,  sat  on 
the  floor  and  watched  them  frolic  in  great  delight. 

"  Mammy,"  said  he,  edging  up  to  her  side  as  the 
sport  went  on,  "do  you  know,  I  think  it's  just  good 
—  it's  —  oh,  it's  so  frisky  since  Joe  got  well,  isn't  it, 
mammy  ?  " 

"Yes,  indeed,"  said  Mrs.  Pepper,  giving  him  a  radi- 
ant look  in  return  for  his;  "and  when  Polly's  around 
again  with  her  two  eyes  all  right  —  well,  I  don't  know 
what  we  shall  do,  I  declare  !  " 

"Boo!"  cried  a  voice,  next  morning,  close  to 
Polly's  elbow,  unmistakably  Joel's. 


And  How   They  Grew.  123 

"  Oh,  Joel  Pepper  ! "  she  cried,  whirling  around, 
"  is  that  really  you  I " 

"Yes,"  cried  that  individual,  confidently,  "it's 
I ;  oh,  I  say,  Polly,  I've  had  fun  up-stairs,  I  tell 
you  what !  " 

"  Poor  boy !  "  said  Polly,  compassionately. 

"  I  wasn't  a  poor  boy,"  cried  Joel,  indignantly ;  "  I 
had  splendid  things  to  eat ;  oh,  my !  "  and  he  closed 
one  eye  and  smacked  his  lips  in  the  delightful 
memory. 

"  I  know  it,"  said  Polly,  "  and  I'm  so  glad,  Joel." 

"  I  don't  suppose  I'll  ever  get  so  many  again,"  ob- 
served Joel,  reflectively,  after  a  minute's  pause,  as 
one  and  another  of  the  wondrous  delicacies  rose 
before  his  mind's  eye;  "not  unless  I  have  the 
measles  again  —  say,  Polly,  can't  I  have  'em  again  ?  " 

"  Mercy,  no !  "  cried  Polly,  in  intense  alarm,  "  I 
hope  not." 

"  Well,  I  don't,"  said  Joel,  "  I  wish  I  could  have 
'em  sixty  —  no —  two  hundred  times,  so  there  !  " 

"Well,  mammy  couldn't  take  care  of  you,"  said 
Ben  ;  "you  don't  know  what  you're  sayin',  Joe." 

"  Well,  then,  I  wish  I  could  have  the  things  with- 
out the  measles,"  said  Joel,  willing  to  accommodate  ; 
"  only  folks  won't  send  'em,"  he  added,  in  an  injured 
tone. 


124  Five  Little  Peppers  ; 

"  Polly's  had  the  hardest  time  of  all,"  said  her 
mother,  affectionately  patting  the  bandage. 

"  I  think  so  too,"  put  in  Ben ;  "  if  my  eyes  were 
hurt  I'd  give  up." 

"  So  would  I,"  said  David;  and  Joel,  to  be  in  the 
fashion,  cried  also,  "  I  know  /  would  ;  "  while  little 
Phronsie  squeezed  up  to  Polly's  side,  "  And  /j  too." 

"  Would  what,  Puss  ? "  asked  Ben,  tossing  her  up 
high. 

"  Have  good  things,"  cried  the  child,  in  delight  at 
understanding  the  others,  "  I  would  really,  Ben,"  she 
cried,  gravely,  when  they  all  screamed. 

"  Well,  I  hope  so,"  said  Ben,  tossing  her  higher 
yet. 

"  Don't  laugh  at  her,  boys,"  put  in  Polly  ;  "  we're 
all  going  to  have  good  times  now,  Phronsie,  now  we've 
got  well. 

"  Yes."  laughed  the  child  from  her  high  perch  ;  "  we 
aren't  ever  goin'  to  be  sick  again,  ever  —  any  more," 
she  added  impressively. 

The  good  times  were  coming  for  Polly  —  coming 
pretty  near,  and  she  didn't  know  it !  All  the  children 
were  in  the  secret ;  for  as  Mrs.  Pepper  declared, 
"  They'd  have  to  know  it ;  and  if  they  were  let.  into 
the  secret  they'd  keep  it  better." 

So  they  had  individually  and  collectively  been  in- 


And  How  They  Grew.  125 

trusted  with  the  precious  secret,  and  charged  with 
the  extreme  importance  of  "  never  letting  any  one 
know,"  and  they  had  been  nearly  bursting  ever  since 
with  the  wild  desire  to  impart  their  knowledge. 

"  I'm  afraid  I  shall  tell,"  said  David,  running  to 
his  mother  at  last;  "oh,  mammy,  I  don't  dare  stay 
near  Polly,  I  do  want  to  tell  so  bad" 

"  Oh,  no,  you  won't,  David,"  said  his  mother  en- 
couragingly, "  when  you  know  mother  don't  want  you 
to ;  and  besides,  think  how  Polly'll  look  when  she 
sees  it." 

"  I  know,"  cried  David  in  the  greatest  rapture,  "  I 
wouldn't  tell  for  all  the  world  !  I  guess  she'll  look 
nice,  don't  you  mother  ?  "  and  he  laughed  in  glee  at 
the  thought. 

"  Poor  child !  I  guess  she  will  !  "  and  then  Mrs. 
Pepper  laughed  too,  till  the  little  old  kitchen  rang 
with  delight  at  the  accustomed  sound. 

The  children  all  had  to  play  "  clap  in  and  clap  out " 
in  the  bedroom  while  it  came  ;  and  "stage  coach,"  too 
— "anything  to  make  a  noise,"  Ben  said.  And  then 
after  they  got  nicely  started  in  the  game,  he  would  be 
missing  to  help  about  the  mysterious  thing  in  the 
kitchen,  which  was  safe  since  Polly  couldn't  see  him 
go  on  account  of  her  bandage.  So  she  didn't  suspect  in 
the  least.  And  although  the  rest  were  almost  dying 


126  Five  Little  Peppers; 

to  be  out  in  the  kitchen,  they  conscientiously  stuck 
to  their  bargain  to  keep  Polly  occupied.  Only  Joel 
would  open  the  door  and  peep  once ;  and  then  Phron- 
sie  behind  him  began  —  "Oh,  I  see  the  sto — "  but 
David  swooped  down  on  her  in  a  twinkling,  and 
smothered  the  rest  by  tickling  her. 

Once  they  came  very  near  having  the  whole  thing 
pop  out. 

"  Whatever  is  that  noise  in  the  kitchen  ?  "  asked 
Polly,  as  they  all  stopped  to  take  breath  after  the 
scuffle  of  "  stage-coach."  "  It  sounds  just  like  grating." 

"  I'll  go  and  see,"  cried  Joel,  promptly ;  and  then 
he  flew  out  where  his  mother  and  Ben  and  two  men 
were  at  work  on  a  big,  black  thing  in  the  corner. 
The  old  stove,  strange  to  say,  was  nowhere  to  be 
seen  !  Something  else  stood  in  its  place,  a  shiny, 
black  affair,  with  a  generous  supply  of  oven  doors, 
and  altogether  such  a  comfortable,  home-like  look 
about  it,  as  if  it  would  say  —  "  I'm  going  to  make 
sunshine  in  this  house  !  " 

"Oh,  Joel,"  cried  his  mother,  turning  around  on 
him  with  very  black  hands,  "  you  haven't  told  !  " 

"  No,"  said  Joel,  "  but  she's  hearin'  the  noise, 
Polly  is." 

"Hush  /"  said  Ben,  to  one  of  the  men. 


And  How  They  Grew.  129 

"We  can't  put  it  up  without  some  noise,"  the  man 
replied,  "  but  we'll  be  as  still  as  we  can." 

"  Isn't  it  a  big  one,  ma  ?  "  asked  Joel,  in  the  loud- 
est of  stage  whispers,  that  Polly  on  the  other  side  of 
the  door  couldn't  have  failed  to  hear  if  Phronsie 
hadn't  laughed  just  then. 

"Go  back,  Joe,  do,"  said  Ben,  "play  tag  —  any- 
thing^ he  implored,  "  we'll  be  through  in  a  few- 
minutes." 

"  It  takes  forever  !  "  said  Joel,  disappearing  within 
the  bedroom  door.  Luckily  for  the  secret,  Phronsie 
just  then  ran  a  pin  sticking  up  on  the  arm  of  the  old 
chair,  into  her  finger ;  and  Polly,  while  comforting  her, 
forgot  to  question  Joel.  And  then  the  mother  came 
in,  and  though  she  had  ill-concealed  hilarity  in  her 
voice,  she  kept  chattering  and  bustling  around  with 
Polly's  supper  to  such  an  extent  that  there  was  no 
chance  for  a  word  to  be  got  in. 

Next  morning  it  seemed  as  if  the  "  little  brown 
house,"  would  turn  inside  out  with  joy. 

"  Oh,  mammy  !  "  cried  Polly,  jumping  into  her 
arms  the  first  thing,  as  Dr.  Fisher  untied  the  band- 
age, "my  eyes  are  new /  just  the  same  as  if  I'd  just 
got  'em  !  Don't  they  look  different  ?  "  she  asked, 
earnestly,  running  to  the  cracked  glass  to  see  for  her- 
self. 


130  Five  Little  Peppers  ; 

"  No,"  said  Ben,  "  I  hope  not ;  the  same  brown 
ones,  Polly." 

"  Well,"  said  Polly,  hugging  first  one  and  then 
another,  "everybody  looks  different  through  them, 
anyway." 

"  Oh,"  cried  Joel,  "  come  out  into  the  kitchen, 
Polly ;  it's  a  great  deal  better  out  there." 

"  May  I  ? "  asked  Polly,  who  was  in  such  a  twitter 
looking  at  everything  that  she  didn't  know  which 
way  to  turn. 

"  Yes,"  said  the  doctor,  smiling  at  her. 

"  Well,  then,"  sang  Polly,  "  come  mammy,  we'll 
go  first ;  isn't  it  just  lovely  —  oh,  MAMMY  !  "  —  and 
Polly  turned  so  very  pale,  and  looked  as  if  she  were 
going  to  tumble  right  over,  that  Mrs.  Pepper  grasped 
her  arm  in  dismay. 

"  Wfatisfff'shfi  asked,  pointing  to  the  corner, 
while  all  the  children  stood  round  in  the  greatest  ex- 
citement. 

"Why,"  cried  Phronsie,  "  it's  a  stove — don't  you 
know,  Polly  ? " 

But  Polly  gave  one  plunge  across  the  room,  and 
before  anybody  could  think,  she  was  down  on  her 
knees  with  her  arms  flung  right  around  the  big,  black 
thing,  and  laughing  and  crying  over  it,  all  in  the  same 
breath  ! 


And  How  Tfiey  Grew.  131 

And  then  they  all  took  hold  of  hands  and  danced 
around  it  like  wild  little  thitigs ;  while  Dr.  Fisher 
stole  out  silently  —  and  Mrs.  Pepper  laughed  till  she 
wiped  her  eyes  to  see  them  go. 

"We  aren't  ever  goin'  to  have  any  more  burnt 
bread,"  sang  Polly,  all  out  of  breath. 

"  Nor  your  back  isn't  goin'  to  break  any  more," 
panted  Ben,  with  a  very  red  face. 

"  Hooray  !  "  screamed  Joel  and  David,  to  fill  any 
pause  that  might  occur,  while  Phronsie  gurgled  and 
laughed  at  everything  just  as  it  came  along.  And 
then  they  all  danced  and  capered  again ;  all  but 
Polly,  who  was  down  before  the  precious  stove 
examining  and  exploring  into  ovens  and  everything 
that  belonged  to  it. 

"  Oh,  ma,"  she  announced,  coming  up  to  Mrs.  Pep- 
per, who  had  been  obliged  to  fly  to  her  sewing  again, 
and  exhibiting  a  very  crocky  face  and  a  pair  of  ex- 
tremely smutty  hands,  "  it's  most  all  ovens,  and  it's 
just  splendid  !  " 

"I  know  it,"  answered  her  mother, delighted  in  the 
joy  of  her  child.  "  My  !  how  black  you  are,  Polly  ! " 

"  Oh,  I  wish,"  cried  Polly,  as  the  thought  struck 
her,  "  that  Dr.  Fisher  could  see  it !  Where  did  he 
go  to,  ma  ?  " 

"  I  guess  Dr.  Fisher  has  seen  it  before,"  said  Mrs 


132  Five  Little  Peppers  ; 

Pepper,  and  then  she  began  to  laugh.  "You  haven't 
ever  asked  where  the  stove  came  from,  Polly." 

And  to  be  sure,  Polly  had  been  so  overwhelmed 
that  if  the  stove  had  really  dropped  from  the  clouds 
it  would  have  been  small  matter  of  astonishment  to 
her,  as  long  as  it  had  come ;  that  was  the  main  thing  ! 

"  Mammy,"  said  Polly,  turning  around  slowly,  with 
the  stove-lifter  in  her  hand,  "  did  Dr.  Fisher  bring 
that  stove  ?  " 

"  He  didn't  exactly  bring  it,"  answered  her  mother, 
"  but  I  guess  he  knew  something  about  it." 

"  Oh,  he's  the  splendidest,  goodest  man  !  "  cried 
Polly,  "  that  ever  breathed  !  Did  he  really  get  us 
that  stove  ?  " 

"Yes,"  said  Mrs.  Pepper,  "  he  would;  I  couldn't 
stop  him.  I  don't  know  how  he  found  out  you  wanted 
one  so  bad  ;  but  he  said  it  must  be  kept  as  a  surprise 
when  your  eyes  got  well." 

"  And  he  saved  my  eyes  "  !  cried  Polly,  full  of  grati- 
tude. "  I've  got  a  stove  and  two  new  eyes,  mammy, 
just  to  think  !  " 

"We  ought  to  be  good  after  all  our  mercies,"  said 
Mrs.  Pepper  thankfully,  looking  around  on  her  little 
group.  Joel  was  engaged  in  the  pleasing  occupation 
of  seeing  how  far  he  could  run  his  head  into  the  biggest 
oven,  and  then  pulling  it  out  to  exhihit  its  black- 


And  How  They  Grew.  133 

ness,  thus  engrossing  the  others  in  a  perfect  hubbub. 

".I'm  going  to  bake  my  doctor  some  little  cakes," 
declared  Polly,  when  there  was  comparative  quiet. 

"  Do,  Polly,"  cried  Joel,  "  and  then  leave  one  or  two 
over.' 

"  No,"  said  Polly  ;  "  we  can't  have  any,  because 
these  must  be  very  nice.  Mammy,  can't  I  have  some 
white  on  top,  just  once  ?  "  she  pleaded. 

"  I  don't  know,"  dubiously  replied  Mrs.  Pepper ; 
"  eggs  are  dreadful  dear,  and  —  " 

"I  don't  care,"  said  Polly,  recklessly;  "I  must 
just  once  for  Dr.  Fisher." 

"  I  tell  you,  Polly."  said  Mrs.  Pepper,  "  what  you 
might  do  ;  you  might  make  him  some  little  apple 
tarts  — most  every  one  likes  them,  you  know." 

"  Well,"  said  Polly,  with  a  sigh,  "  I  s'pose  they'll 
have  to  do  ;  but  some  time,  mammy,  I'm  going  to  bake 
him  a  big  cake,  so  there  !  " 


r34  five  Little  Peppers; 


CHAPTER  X. 

A   THREATENED    BLOW. 

ONE  day,  a  few  weeks  after,  Mrs.  Pepper  and 
Polly  were  busy  in  the  kitchen.  Phronsie  was 
out  in  the  "orchard," as  the  one  scraggy  apple-tree  was 
called  by  courtesy,  singing  her  rag  doll  to  sleep  under 
its  sheltering  branches.  But  "  Baby  "  was  cross  and 
wouldn't  go  to  sleep,  and  Phronsie  was  on  the  point 
of  giving  up,  and  returning  to  the  house,  when  a 
strain  of  music  made  her  pause  with  dolly  in  her 
apron.  There  she  stood  with  her  finger  in  her  mouth, 
in  utter  astonishment,  wondering  where  the  sweet 
sounds  came  from. 

"  Oh,  Phronsie  !  "  screamed  Polly,  from  the  back 
door,  "  where  are  —  oh,  here,  come  quick  !  it's  the 
beau-ti-fullest ! " 

"  What  is  it  ?  "  eagerly  asked  the  little  one,  hop- 
ping over  the  stubby  grass,  leaving  poor,  discarded 


And  How  They  Grew. 


135 


"  Baby  "  on  its  snubby  nose  where  it  dropped  in  her 
hurry. 


THE   MONKEY   PAYS   HIS  COMPLIMENTS  TO  PHRONSIE. 

"  Oh,  a  monkey  !  "  cried   Polly  ;  u  do  hurry !    the 
sweetest  little  monkey  you  ever  saw  !  " 


136  Five  Little  Peppers; 

"  What  is  a  monkey  ? "  asked  Phronsie,  skurrying 
after  Polly  to  the  gate  where  her  mother  was  waiting 
for  them. 

"Why,  a  monkey's — a  —  monkey,"  explained 
Polly,  "  I  don't  know  any  better'n  that.  Here  he  is  ! 
Isn't  he  splendid !  "  and  she  lifted  Phronsie  up  to 
the  big  post  where  she  could  see  finely. 

"O-oh!  ow!"  screamed  little  Phronsie,  "see  him, 
Polly  !  just  see  him  !  " 

A  man  with  an  organ  was  standing  in  the  middle  of 
the  road  playing  away  with  all  his  might,  and  at  the 
end  of  a  long  rope  was  a  lively  little  monkey  in  a 
bright  red  coat  and  a  smart  cocked  hat.  The  little 
creature  pulled  off  his  hat,  and  with  one  long  jump 
coming  on  the  fence,  he  made  Phronsie  a  most  mag- 
nificent bow.  Strange  to  say,  the  child  wasn't  in  the 
least  frightened,  but  put  out  her  little  fat  hand,  speak- 
ing in  gentle  tones,  "  Poor  little  monkey  !  come  here, 
poor  little  monkey  !  " 

Turning  up  his  little  wrinkled  face,  and  glancing 
fearfully  at  his  master,  Jocko  began  to  grimace  and 
beg  for  something  to  eat.  The  man  pulled  the  string 
and  struck  up  a  merry  tune,  and  in  a  minute  the 
monkey  spun  around  and  around  at  such  a  lively  pace, 
and  put  in  so  many  queer  antics  that  the  little  audi- 
ence were  fairly  convulsed  with  laughter. 


And  How  They  Grew.  137 

"  I  can't  pay*  you,"  said  Mrs.  Pepper,  wiping  her 
eyes,  when  at  last  the  man  pulled  up  the  strap 
whistling  to  Jocko  to  jump  up,  "but  I'll  give  you 
something  to  eat ;  and  the  monkey,  too,  he  shall  have 
something  for  his  pains  in  amusing  my  children." 

The  man  looked  very  cross  when  she  brought  him 
out  only  brown  bread  and  two  cold  potatoes. 

"  Haven't  you  got  nothin'  better'n  that  1 " 

"  It's  as  good  as  we  have,"  answered  Mrs.  Pepper. 

The  man  threw  down  the  bread  in  the  road.  But 
Jocko  thankfully  ate  his  share,  Polly  and  Phronsie 
busily  feeding  him  ;  and  then  he  turned  and  snapped 
up  the  portion  his  master  had  left  in  the  dusty  road. 

Then  they  moved  on,  Mrs.  Pepper  and  Polly  going 
back  to  their  work  in  the  kitchen.  A  little  down  the 
road  the  man  struck  up  another  tune.  Phronsie  who 
had  started  merrily  to  tell  "Baby"  all  about  it, 
stopped  a  minute  to  hear,  and  —  she  didn't  go  back 
to  the  orchard  ! 

About  two  hours  after,  Polly  said  merrily : 

"  I'm  going  to  call  Phronsie  in,  mammy  ;  she  must 
be  awfully  tired  and  hungry  by  this  time." 

She  sang  gayly  on  the  way,  "  I  'm  coming,  Phronsie, 
coming —  why,  where  !  —  "  peeping  under  the  tree. 

"  Baby  "  lay  on  its  face  disconsolately  on  the  ground 


138  Five  Little  Peppers  ; 

—  and  the  orchard  was  empty  !     Phronsie  was  gone ! 

"  It's  no  use/'  said  Ben,  to  the  distracted  household 
and  such  of  the  neighbors  as  the  news  had  brought 
hurriedly  to  the  scene,  "  to  look  any  more  around 
here  —  but  somebody  must  go  toward  Hingham ;  he'd 
be  likely  to  go  that  way." 

"  No  one  could  tell  where  he  would  go,"  cried 
Polly,  wringing  her  hands. 

"  But  he'd  change,  Ben,  if  he  thought  folks  would 
think  he'd  gone  there,"  said  Mrs.  Pepper. 

"  We  must  go  all  roads,"  said  Ben,  firmly  ;  "  one 
must  take  the  stage  to  Boxville,  and  I'll  take  Deacon 
Brown's  wagon  on  the  Hingham  road,  and  somebody 
else  must  go  to  Toad  Hollow." 

"  I'll  go  in  the  stage,"  screamed  Joel,  who  could 
scarcely  see  out  of  his  eyes,  he  had  cried  so  ;  "  I'll 
find  — find  her —  I  know." 

"  Be  spry,  then,  Joe,  and  catch  it  at  the  corner ! " 

Everybody  soon  knew  that  little  Phronsie  Pepper 
had  gone  off  with  "  a  cross  organ  man  and  an  awful 
monkey !  "  and  in  the  course  of  an  hour  dozens  of 
people  were  out  on  the  hot,  dusty  roads  in  search. 

"  What's  the  matter  ?  "  asked  a  testy  old  gentleman 
in  the  stage,  of  Joel  who,  in  his  anxiety  to  see  both 
sides  of  the  road  at  once,  bobbed  the  old  gentleman 


And  How  They  Grew.  139 

in  the  face  so  often  as  the  stage  lurched,  that  at  last 
he  knocked  his  hat  over  his  eyes. 

"  My  sister's  gone  off  with  a  monkey,"  explained 
Joel,  bobbing  over  to  the  other  side,  as  he  thought  he 
caught  sight  of  something  pink  that  he  felt  sure  must 
be  Phronsie's  'apron.  "  Stop  !  stop  !  there  she  is  !  " 
he  roared,  and  the  driver,  who  had  his  instructions 
and  was  fully  in  sympathy,  pulled  up  so  suddenly 
that  the  old  gentleman  flew  over  into  the  opposite 
seat. 

"  Where  ?  " 

But  when  they  got  up  to  it  Joel  saw  that  it  was 
only  a  bit  of  pink  calico  flapping  on  a  clothes-line  ;  so 
he  climbed  back  and  away  they  rumbled  again. 

The  others  were  having  the  same  luck.  No  trace 
could  be  found  of  the  child.  To  Ben,  who  took  the 
Hingham  road,  the  minutes  seemed  like  hours. 

"  I  won't  go  back,"  he  muttered,  "  until  I  take  her. 
I  can't  see  mother's  face  !  " 

But  the  ten  miles  were  nearly  traversed  ;  almost  the 
last  hope  was  gone.  Into  every  thicket  and  lurking 
place  by  the  road-side  had  he  peered  —  but  no  Phron- 
sie  !  Deacon  Brown's  horse  began  to  lag. 

"Go  on!"  said  Ben,  hoarsely;  "oh,  dear  Lord, 
make  me  find  her  !  " 

The  hot  sun  poured  down  on  the  boy's  face,  and 


1 40  Five  Little  Peppers  ; 

he  had  no  cap.  What  cared  he  for  that  ?  On  and 
on  he  went.  Suddenly  the  horse  stopped.  Ben 
doubled  up  the  reins  to  give  him  a  cut,  when  "  WHOA  !  " 
he  roared  so  loud  that  the  horse  in  very  astonishment 
gave  a  lurch  that  nearly  flung  him  headlong.  But 
he  was  over  the  wheel  in  a  twinkling,  and  up  with 
a  bound  to  a  small  thicket  of  scrubby  bushes  on  a 
high  hill  by  the  road-side.  Here  lay  a  little  bundle 
on  the  ground,  and  close  by  it  a  big,  black  dog  ;  and 
over  the  whole,  standing  guard,  was  a  boy  a  little 
bigger  than  Ben,  with  honest  gray  eyes.  And  the 
bundle  was  Phronsie  ! 

"  Don't  wake  her  up/'  said  the  boy,  warningly,  as 
Ben,  with  a  hungry  look  in  his  eyes,  leaped  up  the  hill, 
"  she's  tired  to  death  !  " 

"  She's  my  sister  !  "  cried  Ben,  "our  Phronsie /" 
"  I  know  it,"  said  the  boy  kindly  ;  "  but  I  wouldn't 
wake  her  up  yet  if  I  were  you.     I'll  tell  you  all  about 
it,"  and  he  took  Ben's  hand  which  was  as  cold  as  ice 


And  How  They  Grew.  143 


CHAPTER  XI. 

SAFE. 

"  TT'S  all  right,  Prince,"  the  boy  added,  encourag- 
A     ingly  to  the  big  dog  who,  lifting  his  noble  head, 
had1  turned  two  big  eyes  steadily  on  Ben.     "  He's  all 
right !  lie  down  again  !  " 

Then,  flinging  himself  down  on  the  grass,  he  told 
Ben  how  he  came  to  rescue  Phronsie. 

"  Prince  and  I  were 'out  for  a  stroll,"  said  he.  "  I 
live  over  in  Hingham,"  pointing  to  the  pretty  little 
town  just  a  short  distance  before  them  in  the  hollow  ; 
"that  is,"  laughing,  "  I  do  this  summer.  Well,  we 
were  out  strolling  along  about  a  mile  below  here  on 
the  cross-road  ;  and  all  of  a  sudden,  just  as  if  they 
sprung  right  up  out  of  the  ground,  I  saw  a  man  with 
an  organ,  and  a  monkey,  and  a  little  girl,  coming 
along  the  road.  She  was  crying,  and  as  soon  as 
Prince  saw  that,  he  gave  a  growl,  and  then  the  man 
saw  us,  and  he  looked  so  mean  and  cringing  I  knew 


144  Ft™  Little  Peppers ; 

there  must  be  something  wrong,  and  I  inquired  of 
him  what  he  was  doing  with  that  little  girl,  and  then 
she  looked  up  and  begged  so  with  her  eyes,  and  all 
of  a  sudden  broke  away  from  him  and  ran  towards 
me  screaming  —  '  I  want  Polly  ! '  Well,  the  man 
sprang  after  her ;  then  I  tell  you  "  —  here  the  boy 
forgot  his  caution  about  waking  Phronsie  —  "  we  went 
for  him,  Prince  and  I !  Prince  is  a  noble  fellow,"  (here 
the  dog's  ears  twitched  very  perceptibly)  "  and  he 
kept  at  that  man  ;  oh  !  how  he  bit  him  !  till  he  had 
to  run  for  fear  the  monkey  would  get  killed." 

"  Was  Phronsie  frightened  ?  "  asked  Ben  ;  "  she's 
never  seen  strangers." 

"  Not  a  bit,"  said  the  boy,  cheerily ;  "  she  just 
clung  to  me  like  everything —  I  only  \\ish  she  was  my 
sister,"  he  added  impulsively. 

"  What  were  you  going  to  do  with  her  if  1  hadn't 
come  along  ? "  asked  Ben. 

"Well,  I  got  out  on  the  main  road,"  said  the  boy, 
"  because  I  thought  anybody  who  had  lost  her,  would 
probably  come  through  this  way ;  but  if  somebody 
hadn't  come,  I  was  going  to  carry  her  in  to  Hingham  ; 
and  the  father  and  I'd  had  to  contrive  some  way  to 
do." 

"Well,"  said  Ben,  as  the  boy  finished  and  fastened 
his  bright  eyes  on  him,  "  somebody  did  come  along ; 


And  How  They  Grew.  145 

and  now  I  must  get  her  home  about  as  fast  as  I  can 
for  poor  mammy  —  and  Polly  !  " 

"  Yes,"  said  the  boy,  "  Til  help  you  lift  her;  per- 
haps she  won't  wake  up." 

The  big  dog  moved  away  a  step  or  two,  but  still 
kept  his  eye  on  Phronsie. 

"  There,"  said  the  boy,  brightly,  as  they  laid  the 
child  on  the  wagon  seat ;  "  now  when  you  get  in  you 
can  hold  her  head ;  that's  it,"  he  added,  seeing 
them  both  fixed  to  his  satisfaction.  But  still  Ben 
lingered. 

"  Thank  you,"  he  tried  to  say. 

"  I  know,"  laughed  the  boy  ;  "  only  it's  Prince  in- 
stead of  me,"  and  he  pulled  forward  the  big  black 
creature,  who  had  followed  faithfully  down  the  hill  to 
see  the  last  of  it.  "  To  the  front,  sir,  there  !  We're 
coming  to  see  you,"  he  continued,  "if  you  will  let  us 
—  where  do  you  live  ?  " 

"  Do  come,"  said  Ben,  lighting  up,  for  he  was  just 
feeling  he  couldn't  bear  to  look  his  last  on  the  merry, 
honest  face  ;  "  anybody'll  tell  you  where  Mrs.  Pepper 
lives." 

"  Is  she  a  Pepper  ?  "  asked  the  boy,  laughing,  and 
pointing  to  the  unconscious  little  heap  in  the  wagon  ; 
"  and  are  you  a  Pepper  ? " 


146  Five  Little  Peppers; 

''Yes,"  said  Ben,  laughing  too.  "  There  are  five  of 
us  besides  mother." 

"Jolly!  that's  something  like!  Good  by  !  Come 
on,  Prince  ! " 

Then  away  home  to  mother  !  Phronsie  never  woke 
up  or  turned  over  once  till  she  was  put,  a  little  pink 
sleepy  heap,  into  her  mother's  arms.  Joel  was  there, 
crying  bitterly  at  his  forlorn  search.  The  testy  old 
gentleman  in  the  seat  opposite  had  relented  and  or- 
dered the  coach  about  and  brought  him  home  in  an 
outburst  of  grief  when  all  hope  was  gone.  And  one 
after  another  they  all  had  come  back,  disheartened, 
to  the  distracted  mother.  Polly  alone,  clung  to 
hope  ! 

"  Ben  will  bring  her,  mammy  ;  I  know  God  will  let 
him,"  she  whispered. 

But  when  Ben  did  bring  her,  Polly,  for  the  second 
time  in  her  life,  tumbled  over  with  a  gasp,  into  old 
Mrs.  Bascom's  lap. 

Home  and  mother  !  Little  Phronsie  slept  all  that 
night  straight  through.  The  neighbors  came  in  softly, 
and  with  awe-struck  visages  stole  into  the  bedroom  to 
look  at  the  child ;  and  as  they  crept  out  again, 
thoughts  of  their  own  little  ones  tugging  at  their 
hearts,  the  tears  would  drop  unheeded. 


Ami  How  They  Grew.  147 


CHAPTER  XII. 

NEW    FRIENDS. 

UP  the  stairs  of  the  hotel,  two  steps  at  a  time,  ran 
a  boy  with  a  big,  black  dog  at  his  heels.   "  Come 
on,  Prince ;  soft,  now,"  as  they  neared  a  door  at  the 
end  of  the  corridor. 

It  opened  into  a  corner  room  overlooking  "  the 
Park,"  as  the  small  open  space  in  front  of  the  hotel 
was  called.  Within  the  room  there  was  sunshine  and 
comfort,  it  being  the  most  luxurious  one  in  the  house, 
which  the  proprietor  had  placed  at  the  disposal  of 
this  most  exacting  guest.  He  didn't  look  very  happy, 
however — the  gentleman  who  sat  in  an  easy  chair  by 
the  window  ;  a  large,  handsome  old  gentleman,  whose 
whole  bearing  showed  plainly  that  personal  comfort 
had  always  been  his,  and  was,  therefore,  neither  a 
matter  of  surprise  nor  thankfulness. 


1 48  Five  Little  Peppers  ; 

"  Where  have  you  been  ?  "  he  asked,  turning  around 
to  greet  the  boy  who  came  in,  followed  by  Prince. 

"  Oh,  such  a  long  story,  father  !  "  he  cried,  flushed  ; 
his  eyes  sparkling  as  he  flung  back  the  dark  hair  from 
his  forehead.  "  You  can't  even  guess  !  " 

"  Never  mind  now,"  said  the  old  gentleman,  testily  ; 
"  your  stories  are  always  long  ;  the  paper  hasn't  come 
—  strange,  indeed,  that  one  must  needs  be  so  an- 
noyed !  do  ring  that  bell  again." 

So  the  bell  was  pulled  ;  and  a  porter  popped  in  his 
head. 

"  What  is  it,  sir  ?  " 

u  The  paper"  said  the  old  gentleman,  irritably  ; 
"  hasn't  it  come  yet  ?  " 

"  No,  sir,"  said  the  man ;  and  then  he  repeated, 
"  'taint  in  yet,  please,  sir." 

"Very  well  —  you  said  so  once  ;  that's  all,"  waving 
his  hand  ;  then  as  the  door  closed,  he  said  to  his  son, 
"  That  pays  one  for  coming  to  such  an  out-of-the-way 
country  place  as  this,  away  from  papers  —  I  never  will 
do  it  again." 

As  the  old  gentleman,  against  the  advice  of  many 
friends  who  knew  his  dependence  on  externals,  had 
determined  to  come  to  this  very  place,  the  boy  was  not 
much  startled  at  the  decisive  words.  He  stood  very 


And  How  They  Grew.  1 49 

quietly,  however,  until  his  father  finished.  Then  he 
said  : 

"  It's  too  bad,  father !  supposing  I  tell  you  my 
story  ?  Perhaps  you'll  enjoy  hearing  it  while  you  wait 
—  it's  really  quite  newspaperish." 

"  Well,  you  might  as  well  tell  it  now,  I  suppose," 
said  the  old  gentleman  ;  "  but  it  is  a  great  shame 
about  that  paper  !  to  advertise  that  morning  papers 
are  to  be  obtained  —  it's  a  swindle,  Jasper !  a  com- 
plete swindle !  "  and  the  old  gentleman  looked  so 
very  irate  that  the  boy  exerted  himself  to  soothe  him. 

"  I  know,"  he  said  ;  "  but  they  can't  help  the  trains 
being  late." 

"  They  shouldn't  have  the  trains  late,"  said  his 
father,  unreasonably.  "  There's  no  necessity  for  all 
this  prating  about  '  trains  late.'  I'm  convinced  it's 
because  they  forgot  to  send  down  for  the  papers  till 
they  were  all  sold." 

"  I  don't  believe  that's  it,  father,"  said  the  boy, 
trying  to  change  the  subject ;  "  but  you  don't  know 
how  splendid  Prince  has  been,  nor  "  — 

"  And  then  such  a  breakfast!"  continued  the  old 
gentleman.  "  My  liver  certainly  will  be  in  a  dreadful 
state  if  these  things  continue  !  "  And  he  got  up,  and 
going  to  the  corner  of  the  room,  opened  his  medicine 
chest,  and  taking  a  box  of  pills  therefrom,  he  swallowed 


1 5  o  Five  Little  Peppers  ; 

two,  which  done,    he   came  back  with   a  somewhat 
easier  expression  to  his  favorite  chair. 

"  He  was  just  splendid,  father,"  began  the  boy  ;  "  he 
went  for  him,  I  tell  you  !  " 

"  I  hope,  Jasper,  your  dog  has  not  been  doing  any- 
thing violent,"  said  the  old  gentleman.  "  I  must 
caution  you  ;  he'll  get  you  into  trouble  some  day  ;  and 
then  there'll  be  a  heavy  bill  to  pay  ;  he  grows  more 
irritable  every  day." 

"  Irritable  /"  cried  the  boy,  flinging  his  arms  around 
the  dog's  neck,  who  was  looking  up  at  the  old  gentle- 
man in  high  disdain.  "  He's  done  the  most  splendid, 
thing  you  ever  saw  !  Why,  he  saved  a  little  girl,  father, 
from  a  cross  old  organ-man,  and  he  drove  that  man 
—  oh  !  you  ought  to  have  seen  him  run  !  " 

And  now  that  it  was  over,  Jasper  put  back  his  head 
and  laughed  long  and  loud  as  he  remembered  the 
rapid  transit  of  the  musical  pair. 

"  Well,  how  do  you  know  she  wasn't  the  man's 
daughter  ?  "  asked  his  father,  determined  to  find  fault 
someway.  "  You  haven't*  any  business  to  go  around 
the  country  setting  your  dog  on  people.  I  shall  have 
an  awful  bill  to  pay  some  day,  Jasper  —  an  awful 
bill  !  *  he  continued,  getting  up  and  commencing  to 
pace  up  and  down  the  floor  in  extreme  irritation. 
"  Father,"  cried  the  boy,  half  laughing,  half  vexed 


And  How  They  Grew.  151 

springing  to  his  side,  and  keeping  step  with  him,  "  we 
found  her  brother;  he  came  along  when  we  were  by 
the  side  of  the  road.  We  couldn't  go  any  further, 
for  the  poor  little  thing  was  all  tired  out.  And  don't 
you  think  they  live  over  in  Badgertown,  and  "  — 

"Well,"  said  the  old  gentleman,  pausing  in  his 
walk,  and  taking  out  his  watch  to  wonder  if  that 
paper  would  ever  come,  "  she  had  probably  followed 
the  organ-man  ;  so  it  served  her  right  after  all." 

"  Well,  but  father,"  and  the  boy's  dark  eyes  glowed, 
"  she  was  such  a  cunning  little  thing  !  she  wasn't  more 
than  four  years  old  ;  and  she  had  such  a  pretty  little 
yellow  head ;  and  she  said  so  funny  — '  I  want 
Polly.' " 

"  Did  she  ?  "  said  the  old  gentleman,  getting  inter- 
ested in  spite  of  himself  ;  "  what  then  ?  " 

"Why,  then,  sir,"  said  Jasper,  delighted  at  his  suc- 
cess in  diverting  his  thoughts,  "  Prince  and  I  waited 
—  and  waited  ;  and  I  was  just  going  to  bring  her 
here  to  ask  you  what  we  should  do,  when  "  — 

"  Dear  me  !  "  said  the  old  gentleman,  instinctively 
starting  back  as  if  he  actually  saw  the  forlorn  little 
damsel,  ''  you  needn't  ever  bring  such  people  here, 
Jasper  !  I  don't  know  what  to  do  with  them,  I'm 
sure  ! " 

"  Well,"  said  the  boy,  laughing,  "  we   didn't  have 


1 5  2  Five  Little  Peppers  ; 

to,  did  we,  Prince  ? "  stroking  the  big  head  of  the 
dog  who  was  slowly  following  the  two  as  they  paced 
up  and  down,  but  keeping  carefully  on  the  side  of 
his  master  ;  "  for  just  as  we  really  didn't  know  what  to 
do,  don't  you  think  there  was  a  big  wagon  came  along, 
drawn  by  the  ricketiest  old  horse,  and  a  boy  in  the 
wagon  looking  both  sides  of  the  road, 'and  into  every 
bush,  just  as  wild  as  he  could  be,  and  before  I  could 
think,  hardly,  he  spied  us,  and  if  he  didn't  jump !  I 
thought  he'd  broken  his  leg  "  — 

"  And  I  suppose  he  just  abused  you  for  what  you 
had  done,"  observed  the  old  gentleman,  petulantly ; 
"that's  about  all  the  gratitude  there  is  in  this  world." 

"  He  didn't  seem  to  see  me  at  all,"  said  the  boy.  "  I 
thought  he'd  eat  the  little  girl  up." 

"  Ought  to  have  looked  out  for  her  better  then," 
grumbled  the  old  gentleman,  determined  to  find  fault 
with  somebody. 

"  And  he's  a  splendid  fellow,  I  just  know,"  cried 
Jasper,  waxing  enthusiastic  ;  "  and  his  name  is 
Pepper." 

"  Pepper !  "  repeated  his  father  ;  "  no  nice  family 
ever  had  the  name  of  Pepper  /" 

"  Well,  I  don't  care/'  and  Jasper's  laugh  was  loud 
and  merry  ;  "  he's  nice  anyway," — /  know  ;  and  the 


And  How  They  Grew.  153 

little  thing's  nice  ;  and  I'm  going  to  see  them  —  can't 
I,  father  ?  " 

"  Dear  me  !  "  said  his  father ;  "  how  can  you,  Jas- 
per ?  You  do  have  the  strangest  tastes  I  ever  saw  !  " 

"  It's  dreadful  dull  here,"  pleaded  the  boy,  touch- 
ing the  right  string  ;  "  you  know  that  yourself,  father, 
and  I  don't  know  any  boys  around  here  ;  and  Prince 
and  I  are  so  lonely  on  our  walks  —  do  permit  me, 
father !  " 

The  old  gentleman,  who  really  cared  very  little 
about  it,  turned  away,  muttering,  "  Well,  I'm  sure  I 
don't  care ;  go  where  you  like,"  when  a  knock  was 
heard  at  the  door,  and  the  paper  was  handed  in,  which 
broke  up  the  conversation,  and  restored  good  humor. 

The  next  day  but  one,  Ben  was  out  by  the  wood- 
pile, trying  to  break  up  some  kindlings  for  Polly  who 
was  washing  up  the  dishes,  and  otherwise  preparing 
for  the  delights  of  baking  day. 

"  Hulloa  !  "  said  a  voice  he  thought  he  knew. 

He  turned  around  to  see  the  merry-faced  boy,  and 
the  big,  black  dog  who  immediately  began  "to  wag  his 
tail  as  if  willing  to  recognize  him. 

"  You  see  I  thought  you'd  never  look  round,"  said 
the  boy  with  a  laugh.  "  How's  the  little  girl  ?  " 

"Oh!  you  have  come,  really,"  cried  Ben,  springing 


1 54  Five  Little  Peppers  ; 

over  the  wood-pile  with    a  beaming  face.     "  Polly !  " 

But  Polly  was  already  by  the  door,  with  dish-cloth 
in  hand. 

''  This  is  my  sister,  Polly,"  began  Ben  —  and  then 
stopped,  not  knowing  the  boy's  name. 

"  I'm  Jasper  King,"  said  the  boy,  stepping  upon 
the  flat  stone  by  Polly's  side  ;  and  taking  off  his  cap, 
he  put  out  his  hand.  "  And  this  is  Prince,"  he  added. 

Polly  put  her  hand  in  his,  and  Veceived  a  hearty 
shake  ;  and  then  she  sprang  over  the  big  stone,  dish- 
cloth and  all,  and  just  flung  her  arms  around  the 
dog's  neck. 

"  Oh,  you  splendid  fellow,  you  !  "  said  she.  "  Don't 
you  know  we  all  think  you're  as  good  as  gold  ? " 

The  dog  submitted  to  the  astonishing  proceeding 
as  if  he  liked  it,  while  Jasper,  delighted  with  Polly's 
appreciation,  beamed  down  on  them,  and  struck  up 
friendship  with  her  on  the  instant. 

"  Now,  I  must  call  Phronsie,"  said  Polly,  getting 
up,  her  face  as  red  as  a  rose. 

"  Ts  her  name  Phronsie  ?  "  asked  the  boy  with  in- 
terest. 

"  No,  it's  Sophronia,"  said  Polly,  "  but  we  call  her 
Phronsie." 

"What  a  very  funny  name,"  said  Jasper,  "  Sophro- 
nia is,  for  such  a  little  thing —  and  yours  is  Polly,  is 


And  How  They  Grew.  155 

it  not  ?  "  he  asked,    turning  around   suddenly  on  her. 

"  Yes,"  said  Polly  ;  "  no,  not  truly  Polly ;  it's  Mary, 
my  real  name  is  —  but  I've  always  been  Polly." 

"  I  like  Polly  best,  too,"  declared  Jasper,  "  it 
sounds  so  nice." 

"And  his  name  is  Ben/'  said  Polly. 

"  Ebenezer,  you  mean,"  said  Ben,  correcting  her. 

"Well,  we  call  him  Ben,"  said  Polly;  "it  don't 
ever  seem  as  if  there  was  any  Ebenezer  about  it." 

"  I  should  think  not,"  laughed  Jasper. 

"Well,  I  must  get  Phronsie," again  said  Polly,  run- 
ning back  into  the  bed-room,  where  that  small  damsel 
was  busily  engaged  in  washing  "Baby"  in  the  basin 
of  water  that  she  had  with  extreme  difficulty  succeeded 
in  getting  down  on  the  floor.  She  had  then,  by 
means  of  a  handful  of  soft  soap,  taken  from  Polly's 
soap-bowl  during  the  dish-washing,  and  a  bit  of  old 
cotton,  plastered  both  herself  and  "  Baby  "  to  a  com- 
fortable degree  of  stickiness. 

"  Phronsie,"  said  Polly — "  dear  me  !  what  you  doing  ? 
the  big  dog's  out  there,  you  know,  that  scared  the 
naughty  organ-man  ;  and  the  boy  "  —  but  before  the 
words  were  half  out,  Phronsie  had  slipped  from  under 
her  hands,  and  to  Polly's  extreme  dismay,  clattered 
out  into  the  kitchen. 

"  Here  she  is  !  "  cried  Jasper,  meeting  her  at  the 


156  Five  Little  Peppers  ; 

door.  The  little  soapy  hands  were  grasped,  and 
kissing  her  —  "Ugh!"  he  said,  as  the  soft  soap 
plentifully  spread  on  her  face  met  his  mouth. 

"  Oh,  Phronsie  !  you  shouldn't,"  cried  Polly,  and 
then  they  all  burst  out  into  a  peal  of  laughter  at 
Jasper's  funny  grimaces. 

"  She's  been  washing  '  Baby,'  "  explained  Polly, 
wiping  her  eyes,  and  looking  at  Phronsie  who  was 
hanging  over  Prince  in  extreme  affection.  Evidently 
Prince  still  regarded  her  as  his  especial  property. 

"  Have  you  got  a  baby  ?  "  asked  Jasper.  "  I 
thought  she  was  the  baby,"  pointing  to  Phronsie. 

"  Oh,  I  mean  her  littlest  dolly  ;  she  always  calls  her 
'  Baby.'  "  said  Polly.  "  Come,  Phronsie,  and  have 
your  face  washed,  and  a  clean  apron  on." 

When  Phronsie  could  be  fairly  persuaded  that 
Prince  would  not  run  away  during  her  absence,  she 
allowed  herself  to  be  taken  off  :  and  soon  re-appeared, 
her  own,  dainty  little  self.  Ben,  in  the  meantime, 
had  been  initiating  Jasper  into  the  mysteries  of  cut- 
ting the  wood,  the  tool-house,  and  all  the  surround- 
ings of  the  "little  brown  house."  They  had  received 
a  re-inforcement  in  the  advent  of  Joel  and  David, 
who  stared  delightedly  at  Phronsie's  protector,  made 
friends  with  the  dog,  and  altogether  had  had  such  a 


And  How  They  Grew.  157 

thoroughly  good  time,  that  Phronsie,  coming  back, 
clapped  her  hands  in  glee  to  hear  them. 

"  I  wish  mammy  was  home,"  said  Polly,  polishing 
up  the  last  cup  carefully. 

"  Let  me  put  it  up,"  said  Jasper,  taking  it  from  her, 
"  it  goes  up  here,  don't  it,  with  the  rest  ?  "  reaching 
up  to  the  upper -shelf  of  the  old  cupboard. 

"  Yes,"  said  Polly. 

"  Oh,  I  should  think  you'd  have  real  good  times ! " 
said  the  boy,  enviously.  "  I  haven't  a  single  sister 
or  brother." 

"  Haven't  you  ?  "  said  Polly,  looking  at  him  in  ex- 
treme pity.  "  Yes,  we  do  have  real  fun,"  she  added, 
answering  his  questioning  look ;  "  the  house  is  just 
brimful  sometimes,  even  if  we  are  poor." 

"  We  aren't  poor,"  said  Joel,  who  never  could  bear 
to  be  pitied.  Then,  with  a  very  proud  air,  he  said  in 
a  grand  way  —  "  At  any  rate,  we  aren't  going  to  be, 
long,  for  something's  coming  !  " 

"  What  do  you  mean,  Joey  ?  "  asked  Ben,  while  the 
rest  looked  equally  amazed. 

"  Our  ships,"  said  Joel  confidently,  as  if  they  were 
right  before  their  eyes  ;  at  which  they  all  screamed  ! 

"  See  Polly's  stove  !  "  cried  Phronsie,  wishing  to  en- 
tertain in  her  turn.  "  Here  'tis,"  running  up  to  it, 
and  .pointing  with  her  fat  little  finger. 


158  Five  Little  Peppers  ; 

"  Yes.  I  see,"  cried  Jasper,  pretending  to  be  greatly 
surprised  ;  "  it's  new,  isn't  it  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  said  the  child  ;  "  it's  very  all  new  ;  four  yes- 
terdays ago  !" 

And  then  Polly  stopped  in  sweeping  up  and  related, 
with  many  additions  and  explanations  from  the  others, 
the  history  of  the  stove,  and  good  Dr.  Fisher  (upon 
whom  they  all  dilated  at  great  length),  and  the  dread- 
ful measles,  and  everything.  And  Jasper  sympa- 
thized, and  rejoiced  with  them  to  their  hearts  content, 
and  altogether  got  so  very  home-like,  that  they  all  felt 
as  if  they  had  known  him  for  a  year.  Ben  neglected 
his  work  a  little,  but  then  visitors  didn't  come  every 
day  to  the  Peppers  ;  so  while  Polly  worked  away  at 
her  bread,  which  she  was  "  going  to  make  like  bis- 
cuits," she  said,  the  audience  gathered  in  the  little 
old  kitchen  was  in  the  merriest  mood,  and  enjoyed 
everything  to  the  fullest  extent. 

"  Do  put  in  another  stick,  Bensie  dear,"  said  Polly  ; 
"  this  bread  won't  be  fit  for  anything  !  " 

"  Isn't  this  fun,  though  !  "  cried  Jasper,  running  up 
to  try  the  oven  ;  "  I  wish  I  could  ever  bake,"  and  he 
looked  longingly  at  the  little  brown  biscuits  waiting 
their  turn  out  on  the  table. 

"You  come  out  some  day,"  said  Polly,  sociably, 
"  and  we'll  all  try  baking  —  mammy'd  like  to  have  you, 


And  How  They  Grew.  159 

I  know,"  feeling  sure  that  nothing  would  be  too  much 
for  Mrs.  Pepper  to  do  for  the  protector  of  little 
Phronsie. 

"  I  will  !  "  cried  Jasper,  perfectly  delighted.  "  You 
can't  think  how  awfully  dull  it  is  out  in  Hingham  !  " 

"  Don't  you  live  there  ?  "  asked  Polly,  with  a  gasp, 
almost  dropping  a  tin  full  of  -little  brown  lumps  of 
dough  she  was  carrying  to  the  oven. 

'•''Live  there  f"  cried  Jasper;  and  then  he  burst  out 
into  a  merry  laugh.  "No,  indeed!  I  hope  not!  Why, 
we're  only  spending  the  summer  there,  father  and  I, 
in  the  hotel. 

"  Where's  your  mother  ?  "  asked  Joel,  squeezing  in 
between  Jasper  and  his  audience.  And  then  they  all 
felt  instinctively  that  a  very  wrong  question  had  been 
asked. 

"  I  haven't  any  mother/'  said  the  boy,  in  a  low 
voice. 

They  all  stood  quite  still  for  a  moment ;  then  Polly 
said,  "  I  wish  you'd  come  out  sometime ;  and  you 
may  bake  — or  anything  else,"  she  added  ;  and  there 
was  a  kinder  ring  to  her  voice  than  ever. 

No  mother !  Polly  for  her  life,  couldn't  imagine 
how  anybody  could  feel  without  a  mother,  but  the 
very  words  alone  smote  her  heart ;  and  there  was 


160  Five  Little  Peppers; 

nothing  she  wouldn't  have  done  to  give  pleasure  to 
one  who  had  done  so  much  for  them. 

"I  wish  you  could  see  our  mother,"  she  said, 
gently.  "Why,  here  she  comes  now!  oh,  mamsie, 
dear,"  she  cried.  "Do,  Joe,  run  and  take  her  bundle." 

Mrs.  Pepper  stopped  a  minute  to  kiss  Phronsie  — 
her  baby  was  dearer  than  ever  to  her  now.  Then  her 
eye  fell  on  Jasper,  who  stood  respectfully  waiting  and 
watching  her  with  great  interest. 

"  Is  this,"  she  asked,  taking  it  all  in  at  the  first 
glance  —  the  boy  with  the  honest  eyes  as  Ben  had 
described  him — and  the  big,  black  dog  —  "  is  this  the 
boy  who  saved  my  little  girl  ?  " 

"Oh,  ma'am,"  cried  Jasper,  "  /didn't  do  much; 
twas  Prince." 

"  I  guess  you  never'll  know  how  much  you*//V/do," 
said  Mrs.  Pepper.  Then  looking  with  a  long,  keen 
gaze  into  the  boy's  eyes  that  met  her  own  so  frankly 
and  kindly  :  "  I'll  trust  him,"  she  said  to  herself  ;  "  a 
boy  with  those  eyes  can't  help  but  be  good." 

"  Her  eyes  are  just  the  same  as  Polly's,"  thought 
Jasper,  "just  such  laughing  ones,  only  Polly's  are 
brown,"  and  he  liked  her  on  the  spot. 

And  then,  somehow,  the  hubbub  ceased.  Polly 
went  on  with  her  work,  and  the  others  separated,  and 
Mrs.  Pepper  and  Jasper  had  a  long  talk.  When  the 


And  How  They  Grew.  161 

mother's  eyes  fell  on  Phronsie  playing  around  on  the 
floor,  she  gave  the  boy  a  grateful  smile  that  he  thought 
was  beautiful. 

u  Well,  I  declare,"  said  Jasper,  at  last,  looking  up 
at  the  old  clock  in  the  corner  by  the  side  of  the  cup- 
board, "  I'm  afraid  I'll  miss  the  scage,  and  then  father 
never'll  let  me  come  again.  Come,  Prince." 

"Oh,  don't  go,"  cried  Phronsie,  wailing.  "Let 
doggie  stay  !  Oh,  make  him  stay,  mammy ! " 

"I  can't,  Phronsie,"  said  Mrs.  Pepper,  smiling/' if 
he  thinks  he  ought  to  go." 

"  I'll  come  again,"  said  Jasper,  eagerly,  "  if  I  may, 
ma'am."  He  looked  up  at  Mrs.  Pepper  as  he  stood 
cap  in  hand,  waiting  for  the  answer. 

"  I'm  sure  we  should  be  glad  if  your  father  11  be 
willing,"  she  added  ;  thinking,  proudly,  "  My  children 
are  an  honor  to  anybody,  I'm  sure,"  as  she  glanced 
around  on  the  bright  little  group  she  could  call  her 
own.  "  But  be  sure,  Jasper,"  and  she  laid  her  hand 
on  his  arm  as  she  looked  down  into  his  eyes,  "that 
your  father  is  willing,  that's  all." 

"Oh,  yes,  ma'am,"  said  the  boy;  "but  he  will  be, 
I  guess,  if  he  feels  well." 

"  Then  come  on  Thursday,"  said  Polly ;  "  and  can't 
we  bake  something  then,  mammy  ?  " 

"I'm  sure   I  don't  care,"  laughed   Mrs.   Pepper; 


1 62  Five  Little  Peppers  ; 

"  but  you  won't  find  much  but  brown  flour  and  meal 
to  bake  with." 

"  Well  we  can  pretend,"  said  Polly  ;  "  and  we  can 
cut  the  cakes  with  the  heart-shape,  and  they'll  do  for 
anything." 

"  Oh,  I'll  come,"  laughed  Jasper,  ready  for  such 
lovely  fun  in  the  old  kitchen  ;  "  look  out  for  me  on 
Thursday,  Ben  ! " 

So  Jasper  and  Prince  took  their  leave,  all  the  chil- 
dren accompanying  them  to  the  gate ;  and  then  after 
seeing  him  fairly  started  on  a  smart  run  to  catch  the 
stage,  Prince  scampering  at  his  heels,  they  all  began 
to  sing  his  praises  and  to  wish  for  Thursday  to  come. 

But  Jasper  didn't  come  !  Thursday  came  and  went ; 
a  beautiful,  bright,  sunny  day,  but  with  no  signs  of 
the  merry  boy  whom  all  had  begun  to  love,  nor  of  the 
big  black  clog.  The  children  had  made  all  the 
needful  preparations  with  much  ostentation  and  bustle, 
and  were  in  a  state  of  excited  happiness,  ready  for 
any  gale.  But  the  last  hope  had  to  be  given  up,  as 
the  old  clock  ticked  away  hour  after  hour.  And  at 
last  Polly  had  to  put  Phronsie  to  bed,  who  wouldn't 
stop  crying  enough  to  eat  her  supper  ^t  the  dreadful 
disappointment. 

"  He  couldn't  come,  I  know,''  said  both   Ben  and 


And  How  They  Grew.  163 

Polly,  standing  staunchly  up  for  their  new  friend  ; 
but  Joel  and  David  felt  that  he  had  broken  his 
word. 

"  He  promised,"  said  Joel,  vindictively. 

"  I  don't  believe  his  father'd  let  him,"  said  Polly, 
wiping  away  a  sly  tear ;  "  I  know  Jasper'd  come,  if 
he  could." 

Mrs.  Pepper  wisely  kept  her  own  counsel,  simply 
giving  them  a  kindly  caution  : 

"  Don't  you  go  to  judging  him,  children,  till  yon 
know." 

"Well,  \izpromised"  said  Joel,  as  a  settler. 
"Aren't   you  ashamed,  Joe.    said  his  mother,  "  o 
talk  about  any  one  whose  back  is  turned  ?     Wait  till 
he  tells  you  the  reason  himself." 

Joel  hung  his  head,  and  then  began  to  tease  David 
in  the  corner,  to  make  up  for  his  disappointment. 

The  next  morning  Ben  had  to  go  to  the  store  after 
some  more  meal.  As  he  was  going  out  rather  dis- 
mally, the  storekeeper,  who  was  also  postmaster, 
called  out,  "Oh,  halloa,  there  !  " 

"  What  is  it  ?  "  asked  Ben,  turning  back,  thinking 
perhaps  Mr.  Atkins  hadn't  given  him  the  right  change. 

"  Here,"  said  Mr.  Atkins,  stepping  up  to  the  Post- 
office  department,  quite  smart  with  its  array  of  boxes 
and  official  notices,  where  Ben  had  always  lingered, 


164  Five  Little  Peppers  ; 

wishing  there  might  be  sometime  a  letter  for  him  —  or 
some  of  them.  "  You've  got  a  sister  Polly,  haven't 
you  ? " 

"  Yes,"  said  Ben,  wondering  what  was  coming 
next. 

"Well,  she's  got  a  letter/'  said  the  postmaster, 
holding  up  a  nice  big  envelope,  looking  just  like 
those  that  Ben  had  so  many  times  wished  for.  That 
magic  piece  of  white  paper  danced  before  the  boy's 
eyes  for  a  minute  ;  then  he  said  — 

"  It  can't  be  for  her,  Mr.  Atkins ;  why,  she's  never 
had  one." 

"Well,  she's  got  one  now,  sure  enough,"  said  Mr. 
Atkins;  "here  'tis,  plain  enough,"  and  he  read  what 
he  had  no  need  to  study  much  as  it  had  already 
passed  examination  by  his  own  and  his  wife's  faithful 
eyes :  " '  Miss  Polly  Pepper,  near  the  Turnpike, 
Badgertown  ' — that's  her,  isn't  it  ?  "  he  added,  laying 
it  down  before  Ben's  eyes.  "  Must  be  a  first  time  for 
everything,  you  know,  my  boy  !  "  and  he  laughed  long 
over  his  own  joke  ;  "so  take  it  and  run  along  home." 
For  Ben  still  stood  looking  at  it,  and  not  offering  to 
stir. 

"  If  you  say  so,"  said  the  boy,  as  if  Mr.  Atkins  had 
given  him  something  out  of  his  own  pocket ;  "  but 
I'm  afraid  'tisn't  for  Polly."  Then  buttoning  up  the 


And  How  They  Grew.  165 

precious  letter  in  his  jacket,  he  spun  along  home  as 
never  before. 

"  Polly !  Polly !  "  he  screamed.  "  Where  is  she, 
mother  ? " 

"  I  don't  know/'  said  Mrs.  Pepper,  coming  out  of 
the  bedroom.  "  Dear  me  !  is  anybody  hurt,  Ben  ? " 

"  I  don't  know,"  said  Ben,  in  a  state  to  believe 
anything,  "  but  Polly's  got  a  letter." 

"  Polly  got  a  letter  !  "  cried  Mrs.  Pepper  ;  "  what  do 
you  mean,  Ben  ? " 

"  I  don't  know,"  repeated  the  boy,  still  holding  out 
the  precious  letter  ;  "  but  Mr.  Atkins  gave  it  to  me  ; 
where  is  Polly  ?  " 

"  I  know  where  she  is,"  said  Joel ;  "  she's  up-stairs." 
And  he  flew  out  in  a  twinkling,  and  just  as  soon 
reappeared  with  Polly  scampering  after  him  in  the 
wildest  excitement. 

And  then  the  kitchen  was  in  an  uproar  as  the 
precious  missive  was  put  into  Polly's  hand ;  and 
they  all  gathered  around  her,  wondering  and  ex- 
amining, till  Ben  thought  he  would  go  wild  with  the 
delay. 

"I  wonder  where  it  did  come  from,"  said  Polly,  in 
the  greatest  anxiety,  examining  again  the  address. 

"  Where  does  the  postmark  say  ?  "  asked  Mrs. 
Pepper,  looking  over  her  shoulder. 


1 66  Five  Little  Peppers  ; 

"  It's  all  rubbed  out,"  said  Polly,  peering  at  it 
"you  can't  see  anything." 

"  Do  open  it,"  said  Ben,  "  and  then  you'll  find  out." 

"  But  p'raps  'tisn't  for  me,"  said  Polly,  timidly. 

"Well,  Mr.  Atkins  says 'tis,"  said  Ben,  impatiently; 
"  here,  I'll  open  it  for  you,  Polly." 

"No,  let  her  open  it  for  herself,  Ben,"  protested 
his  mother. 

"  But  she  won't,"  said  Ben  ;  "  do  tear  it  open, 
Polly." 

"  No,  I'm  goin'  to  get  a  knife,"  she  said. 

"  I'll  get  one,"  cried  Joel,  running  up  to  the  table 
drawer;  "  here's  one,  Polly." 

"Oh,  dear,"  groaned  Ben;  "you  never'll  get  it 
open  at  this  rate  !  " 

But  at  last  it  was  cut ;  and  they  all  holding  their 
breath,  gazed  awe-struck,  while  Polly  drew  out  the 
mysterious  missive. 

"  What  does  it  say  ?  "  gasped  Mrs.  Pepper. 

"  Dear  Miss  Polly,"  began  both  Ben  and  Polly  in 
a  breath. 

"  Let  Polly  read,"  said  Joel,  who  couldn't  hear  in 
the  confusion. 

"Well,  go  on  Polly,"  said  Ben  ;   "hurry  /" 

"  '  Dear  Miss  Polly,  I  was  so  sorry  I  couldn't  come 
on  Thursday  '  "  — 


AN   EVENT   IN    POLLY'S  LIFE. 


And  How  They  Grav.  169 

"  Oh,  it's  Jasper !  it's  Jasper  !  "  cried  all  the  chil- 
dren in  a  breath. 

"  I  told  you  so  ! "  cried  Ben  and  Polly,  perfectly 
delighted  to  find  their  friend  vindicated  fully — "there! 
Joey  Pepper ! " 

"  Well,  I  don't  care,"  cried  Joe,  nothing  daunted, 
"  he  didn't  come,  anyway  —  do  go  on,  Polly." 

"f  I  was  sq  sorry  I  cquldn't  come  '  "  — began  Polly. 

"You  read  that,"  said  Joel. 

"  I  know  it,"  said  Polly,  "  but  it's  just  lovely ;  '  on 
Thursday ;  but  my  father  was  sick,  and  I  couldn't 
leave  him.  If  you  don't  mind  I'll  come  again  —  I 
mean  I'll  come  some  other  day,  if  it's  just  as  conve- 
nient for  you,  for  I  do  so  want  the  baking,  and  the 
nice  time.  I  forgot  to  say  that  I  had  a  cold,  to,' 
(here  Jasper  had  evidently  had  a  struggle  in  his 
mind  whether  there  should  be  two  o's  or  one,  and  he 
had  at  last  decided  it,  by  crossing  out  one)  but  my 
father  is  willing  I  should  come  when  I  get  well.  Give 
my  love  to  all,  and  especially  remember  me  respect- 
fully to  your  mother.  Your  friend, 

JASPER  ELYOT  KING.'  " 

"Oh,  lovely!  lovely!''1  cried  Polly,  flying  around 
with  the  letter  in  her  hand  ;  u  so  he  is  coming  !  " 

Ben  was  just  as  wild  as  she  was,  for  no  one  knew 
but  Polly  just  how  the  new  friend  had  stepped  into 


1 70  Five  Little  Peppers  ; 

his   heart.     Phronsie  went  to  sleep  happy,  hugging 
"Baby." 

"  And  don't  you  think,  Baby,  dear,"  she  whispered 
sleepily,  and  Polly  heard  her  say  as  she  was  tuck- 
ing her  in,  "that  Jasper  is  really  comin' ;  really  — 
and  the  big,  be-you-ti-ful  doggie,  too  !  " 


And  How  They  Grew.  171 


CHAPTER   XIII. 

PHRONSIE    PAYS    A    DEBT   OF    GRATITUDE. 

AND  now  I  tell  you,"  said  Polly,  the  next  day, 
"  let's  make  Jasper  something ;  can't  we,  ma  ?  " 

"Qh,do/dof"  cried  all  the  other  children,  "  lefs; 
but  what'll  it  be,  Polly  ? " 

"  I  don't  know  about  this,"  interrupted  Mrs.  Pep- 
per ;  "  I  don't  see  how  you  could  get  anything  to  him 
if  you  could  make  it. 

"  Oh,  we  could,  mamsie,"  said  Polly,  eagerly,  run- 
ning up  to  her  ;  "  for  Ben  knows  ;  and  he  says  we  can 
do  it." 

"  Oh,  well,  if  Ben  and  you  have  had  your  heads 
together,  I  suppose  it's  all  right,"  laughed  Mrs.  Pep- 
per, "but  I  don't  see  how  you  can  do  it." 

"Well,  we  can,  mother,  truly,"  put  in  Ben.  "I'll 
tell  you  how,  and  you'll  say  it'll  be  splendid.  You  see 
Deacon  Blodgett's  goin'  over  to  Hingham,  to-morrow  ; 


1J2  Five  Little  Peppers  ; 

I  heard  him  tell  Miss  Blodgett  so ;  and  he  goes  right 
past  the  hotel  ;  and  we  can  do  it  up  real  nice  — and 
it'll  please  Jasper  so  —  do, mammy!  " 

"And  it's  real  dull  there,  Jasper  says,"  put  in  Polly, 
persuasively ;  "  and  just  think,  mammy,  no  brothers 
and  sisters ! "  And  Polly  looked  around  on  the 
others. 

After  that  there  was  no  need  to  say  anything 
more  ;  her  mother  would  have  consented  to  almost 
any  plan  then. 

"  Well,  go  on,children,"  she  said ;  "  you  may  do  it ; 
I  don't  see  but  what  you  can  get  'em  there  well 
enough  ;  but  I'm  sure  I  don't  know  what  you  can 
make." 

"Can't  we,"  said  Polly  —  and  she  knelt  down  by 
her  mother's  side  and  put  her  face  in  between  the 
sewing  in  Mrs.  Pepper's  lap,  and  the  eyes  bent  kindly 
down  on  her  —  "  make  some  little  cakes,  real  cakes  I 
mean  ?  now  don't  say  no,  mammy ! "  she  said, 
alarmed,  for  she  saw  a  "  no "  slowly  coming  in  the 
eyes  above  her,  as  Mrs.  Pepper  began  to  shake  her 
head. 

"  But  we  haven't  any  white  flour,  Polly,"  began  her 
mother. 

"I    know,"  said    Polly;    "but  we'll  make   'em  of 


And  How  They  Grew.  173 

brown,  it'll  do,  if  you'll  give  us  some  raisins  —  you 
know  there's  some  in  the  bowl,  mammy." 

"  I  was  saving  them  for  a  nest  egg,"  said  Mrs. 
Pepper ;  meaning  at  some  future  time  to  indulge  in 
another  plum-pudding  that  the  children  so  loved. 

"  Well,  do  give  'em  to  us,"  cried  Polly ;  "  do,  ma  !  " 

"I  want  'em  for  a  plum-pudding  sometime,"  said 
Mrs.  Pepper. 

"  Ow  !  "  — and  Joel  with  a  howl  sprung  up  from  the 
floor  where  he  had  been  trying  to  make  a  cart  for 
"Baby"  out  of  an  old  box,  and  joined  Mrs.  Pepper 
and  Polly.  "  No,  don't  give  'em  away,  ma  !  "  he 
screamed  ;  "  let's  have  our  plum-pudding  —  now, 
Polly  Pepper,  you're  a-goin'  to  bake  up  all  our  raisins 
in  nasty  little  cakes —  and  "  — 

"Joey!"  commanded  Mrs.  Pepper,  "hush!  what 
word  did  you  say  !  " 

"Well,"  blubbered  Joel,  wiping  his  tears  away  with 
his  grimy  little  hand,  "  Polly's — a-goin' — to  give  "  — 

"  I  should  rather  you'd  never  have  a  plum-pudding 
than  to  say  such  words/'  said  Mrs.  Pepper,  sternly, 
taking  up  her  work  again.  u  And  besides,  do  you 
think  what  Jasper  has  done  for  you  ?  "  and  her  face 
grew  very  white  around  the  lips. 

"Well,  he   can   have  plum -puddings,"    said  Joel, 


174  F^e  Little  Peppers  ; 

whimpering,  "forever  an' ever,  if  he  wants  them  — 
and  —  and"  — 

"Well,  Joey,"  said  Polly,  "there,  don't  feel  bad," 
and  she  put  her  arms  around  him,  and  tried  to  wipe 
away  the  tears  that  still  rolled  down  his  cheeks.  "  We 
won't  give  'em  if  you  don't  want  us  to ;  but  Jasper's 
sick,  and  there  isn't  anything  for  him  to  do,  and"  — 
here  she  whispered  slyly  up  into  his  ear — "don't 
you  remember  how  you  liked  folks  to  send  you  things 
when  you  had  the  measles  ?  " 

"  Yes,  I  know,"  said  Joel,  beginning  to  smile  through 
his  tears  ;  "  wasn't  it  fun,  Polly  ?  " 

"  I  guess  'twas"  laughed  Polly  back  again,  pleased 
at  the  return  of  sunshine.  "Well,  Jasper'll  be  just 
as  pleased  as  you  were,  'cause  we  love  him  and  want 
to  do  somethin'  for  him,  he  was  so  good  to  Phronsie." 

"  I  will,  Polly,  I  will,"  cried  Joel,  completely  won 
over ;  "  do  let's  make  'em  for  him  ;  and  put  'em  in 
thick  ;  oh  !  thick  as  you  can ;  "  and  determined  to  do 
nothing  by  halves,  Joel  ran  generously  for  the 
precious  bowl  of  raisins,  and  after  setting  it  on  the 
table,  began  to  help  Polly  in  all  needful  preparations. 

Mrs.  Pepper  smiled  away  to  herself  to  see  happi- 
ness restored  to  the  little  group.  And  soon  a  pleas- 
ant hum  and  bustle  went  on  around  the  baking  table, 
the  centre  of  attraction. 


And  How  They  Grew.  175 

"  Now,"  said  Phronsie,  coming  up  to  the  table  and 
standing  on  tip-toe  to  see  Polly  measure  out  the  flour, 
"  I'm  a-goin'  to  bake  something  for  my  sick  man,  I 
am" 

"  Oh,  no,  Phronsie,  you  can't,"  began  Polly. 

"  Hey  ? "  asked  Joel,  with  a  daub  of  flour  on  the  tip 
of  his  chubby  nose,  gained  by  too  much  peering  into 
Polly's  flour-bag.  "  What  did  she  say,  Polly  ?  " 
watching  her  shake  the  clouds  of  flour  in  the  sieve. 

"  She  said  she  was  goin'  to  bake  something  for 
Jasper,"  said  Polly.  "There,"  as  she  whisked  in  the 
flour,  "  now  that's  done." 

"  No,  I  didn't  say  Japser,"  said  Phronsie  ;  "  I  didn't 
say  Japser,"  she  repeated,  emphatically. 

"Why,  what  did  you  say,  Pet?  "  asked  Polly,  as- 
tonished, while  little  Davie  repeated,  "  What  did  you 
say,  Phronsie?"' 

"  I  said  my  sick  man"  said  Phronsie,  shaking  her 
yellow  head ;  "  poor  sick  man." 

"  Who  does  she  mean  ?  "  said  Polly  in  despair,  stop- 
ping a  moment  her  violent  stirring  that  threatened 
to  overturn  the  whole  cake-bowl. 

"  I  guess  she  means  Prince,"  said  Joel.  "  Can't  I 
stir,  Polly?" 

"  Oh,  no,"  said  Polly ;  "  only  one  person  must  stir 
cake." 


1 76  Five  Little  Peppers  ; 

"  Why  ?  "  asked  Joel ;  "  why,  Polly  ?  " 

"  Oh,  I  don't  know,"  said  Polly,  "  'cause  'tis  so  ; 
never  mind  now,  Joel.  Do  you  mean  Prince, 
Phronsie  ?  " 

"  No,  I  don't  mean  Princey,"  said  the  child  deci- 
sively j  "  I  mean  my  sick  man." 

"  It's  Jasper's  father,  I  guess  she  means,"  said  Mrs. 
Pepper  over  in  the  corner  ;  "  but  what  in  the  world  !  " 

"  Yes,  yes,"  cried  Phronsie,  perfectly  delighted  at 
being  at  last  understood,  and  hopping  on  one  toe ; 
"  my  sick  man." 

"  I  shall  give  up  !  "  said  Polly,  tumbling  over  in  a 
chair,  with  the  cake  spoon  in  her  hand,  from  which  a 
small  sticky  lump  fell  on  her  apron,  which  Joel  im- 
mediately pounced  upon  and  devoured.  "  What  do 
you  want  to  bake,  Phronsie  ?  "  she  gasped,  holding 
the  spoon  sticking  up  straight,  and  staring  at  the 
child. 

"A  gingerbread  boy,"  said  the  child,  promptly; 
"  he'd  like  that  best ;  poor,  sick  man  !  "  and  she  com- 
menced to  climb  up  to  active  preparations. 


And  How  They  Grew.  177 


CHAPTER   XIV. 

A    LETTER    TO  JASPER. 

MAMSIE,  what  shall  we  do  ?  "  implored  Polly 
of  her  mother. 

"  I  don't  know,"  said  her  mother  ;  "  however  did 
that  get  into  her  head,  do  you  suppose  ? " 

"  I  am  sure  I  can't  tell,"  said  Polly,  jumping  up 
and  beginning  to  stir  briskly  to  make  up  for  lost 
time.  "  P'r'aps  she  heard  us  talking  about  Jasper's 
having  to  take  care  of  his  sick  father,  and  how  hard 
it  must  be  to  be  sick  away  from  home." 

"Yes,"  said  Phronsie,  "but  he'll  be  glad  to  see 
my  gingerbread  boy,  I  guess  ;  poor,  sick  man." 

"Oh,  Phronsie,"  cried  Polly,  in  great  distress, 
"yOu  aren't  ever  going  to  make  a  'gingerbread  boy ' 
to-day  !  see,  we'll  put  in  a  cunning  little  cake  for  Mr. 
King — full  of  raisins,  Phronsie;  won't  that  be 
lovely  !  "  and  Polly  began  to  fill  a  little  scalloped 
tin  with  some  of  the  cake  mixture. 


1 78  Five  Little  Peppers  / 

"  N-no,"  said  the  child,  eying  it  suspiciously ; 
"  that  isn't  like  a  '  gingerbread  boy,'  Polly  ;  he'll 
like  that  best." 

"  Mamsie,"  said  Polly,  "  we  can't  let  her  make  a 
dreadful,  horrid  '  gingerbread  boy  '  to  send  Mr.  King  ! 
he  never'll  let  Jasper  come  here  again." 

"  Oh,  let  her,"  cried  Joel  ;  "  she  can  bake  it,  and 
Dave  an'  I'll  eat  it,"  and  he  picked  up  a  raisin  that 
had  fallen  under  the  table  and  began  crunching  it 
with  great  gusto. 

"That  wouldn't  be  fair,"  said  Polly,  gloomily. 
"  Do  get  her  off  from  it,  mammy." 

"  Phronsie,"  said  Mrs.  Pepper,  going  up  back  of 
the  child,  who  sat  patiently  in  her  high  chair  waiting 
for  Polly  to  let  her  begin,  "  hadn't  you  rather  wait 
and  give  your  '  gingerbread  boy '  to  Jasper  for  his 
father,  when  he  comes  ?  " 

"  Oh,  no,  no,"  cried  Phronsie,  twisting  in  her  chair 
in  great  apprehension,  "  I  want  to  send  it  now,  I 
do." 

"Well,  Polly,"  said  her  mother,  laughing,  "after 
all  it's  best,  I  think,  to  let  her ;  it  can't  do  any  harm 
anyway  —  and  instead  of  Mr.  King's  not  letting  Jas- 
per come,  if  he's  a  sensible  man  that  won't  make  any 
difference  ;  and  if  he  isn't,  why,  then  there'd  be  sure 
to  something  come  up  sometime  to  make  trouble." 


And  How  They  Grew.  179 

"  Well,"  said  Polly,  "  I  suppose  she's  got  to  ;  and 
perhaps,"  as  a  consoling  idea  struck  her,  "  perhaps 
she'll  want  to  eat  it  up  herself  when  it's  done.  Here, 
Phronsie,"  giving  her  a  handful  of  the  cake  mixture, 
which  she  stiffened  with  flour  to  the  right  thickness, 
"there,  you  can  call  that  a  'gingerbread  boy;'  see, 
won't  it  make  a  beautiful  one  !  " 

"  You  needn't  think,"  said  Mrs.  Pepper,  seeing 
Phronsie's  delighted  face,  and  laughing  as  she  went 
back  to  her  work,  "but  what  that  gingerbread  boy'll 
go." 

When  the  little  cakes  were  done,  eight  of  them, 
and  set  upon  the  table  for  exhibition,  they  one  and 
all  protested  that  they  never  saw  so  fine  a  lot.  Polly 
was  delighted  with  the  praise  they  received,  and  her 
mother's  commendation  that  she  was  "growing  a 
better  cook  every  day."  "  How  glad  Jasper'll  be, 
won't  he,  mamsie?  "  said  she. 

The  children  walked  around  and  around  the  table, 
admiring  and  pointing  out  the  chief  points  of  attrac- 
tion, as  they  appeared  before  their  discriminating 
eyes. 

"  I  should  choose  that  one,"  said  Joel,  pointing  at 
one  which  was  particularly  plummy,  with  a  raisin 
standing  up  on  one  end  with  a  festive  air,  as  if  to 
say,  "  There's  lots  of  us  inside,  you  better  believe  ! " 


180  Five  Little  Peppers; 

"  I  wouldn't,"  said  Davie  ;  "I'd  have  that  —  that's 
cracked  so  pretty." 

"  So  'tis,"  said  Mrs.  Pepper ;  "  they're  all  as  light 
as  a  feather,  Polly." 

"But  my  'gingerbread  boy,'  "  cried  Phronsie,  run- 
ning eagerly  along  with  a  particularly  ugly  looking 
specimen  of  a  cake  figure  in  her  hand,  "  is  the  be- 
yew-tifullest,  isn't  it,  Polly?" 

"Oh,  dear,"  groaned  Poll}',  "it  looks  just  awfully, 
don't  it,  Ben  !  " 

"  Hoh,  hoh  ! "  laughed  Joel  in  derision  ;  "  his  leg 
is  crooked,  see  Phronsie  —  you  better  let  Davie  an' 
me  have  it." 

"  No,  no"  screamed  the  child  in  terror ;  "  that's 
my  sick  man's  '  gingerbread  boy,'  it  is  J" 

"Joe,  put  it  down,"  said  Ben.  u  Yes,  Phronsie, 
you  shall  have  it ;  there,  it's  all  safe  ; "  and  he  put  it 
carefully  into  Phronsie's  apron,  when  she  breathed 
easier. 

"  And  he  hasn't  but  one  eye,"  still  laughed  Joel, 
while  little  Davie  giggled  too. 

"  He  did  have  two,"  said  Polly,  "  but  she  punched 

the  other  in  with  her  thumb  ;  don't,  boys,"  she  said, 

aside,  "  you'll  make  her  feel  bad  ;  do  stop  laughing. 

Now,  how'll  we  send  the  things  ?  " 

"Put  'em  in  a  basket,"  said  Ben  ;    "  that's  nicest." 


And  How  They  Grew.  181 

"But  we  haven't  got  any  basket,"  said  Polly,  *  ex- 
cept the  potato  basket,  and  they'd  b.e  lost  in  that." 

"Can't  we  take  your  work-basket,  mamsie?"  asked 
Ben  ;  "  they'd  look  so  nice  in  that." 

"Oh,"  said  Mrs.  Pepper,  "that  wouldn't  do;  I 
couldn't  spare  it,  and  besides,  it's  all  broken  at  the 
side,  Ben  ;  that  don't  look  nice." 

"Oh,  dear,"  said  Polly,  sitting  down  on  one  of  the 
hard  wooden  chairs  to  think,  "  I  do  wish  we  had 
things  nice  to  send  to  sick  people."  And  her  fore- 
head puckered  up  in  a  little  hard  knot. 

"  We'll  have  to  do  'em  up  in  a  paper,  Polly,"  said 
Ben  ;  "  there  isn't  any  other  way;  they'll  look  nice  in 
anything,  'cause  they  are  nice,"  he  added,  comfort- 
ingly. 

"  If  we  only  had  some  flowers,"  said  Polly,  "  that 
would  set  'em  off." 

"  You're  always  a-thinkin'  of  flowers,  Polly,"  said 
Ben.  "  I  guess  the  cakes'll  have  to  go  without  'em." 

"  I  suppose  they  will,"  said  Polly,  stifling  a  little 
sigh.  "  Where's  the  paper  ?  " 

"  I've  got  a  nice  piece  up-stairs,"  said  Ben,  "  just 
right ;  I'll  get  it." 

"  Put  my  'gingerbread  boy'  on  top,"  cried  Phron- 
sie,  handing  him  up. 

So    Polly  packed  the    little   cakes   neatly  in  two 


182  Five  Little  Peppers  ; 

rows,  and  laid  the  '  gingerbread  boy  '  in  a  fascinating 
attitude  across  the  top. 

"  He  looks  as  if  he'd  been  struck  by  lightning  !  " 
said  Ben,  viewing  him  critically  as  he  came  in  the 
door  with  the  paper. 

"  Be  still,"  said  Polly,  trying  not  to  laugh  ;  ' '  that's 
because  he  baked  so  funny  ;  it  made  his  feet  stick 
out." 

"  Children,"  said  Mrs.  Pepper,  "  how'll  Jasper 
know  where  the  cakes  come  from  ?  " 

"  Why,  he'll  know  it's  us,"  said  Polly,  "  of  course  ; 
cause  it'll  make  him  think  of  the  baking  we're  going 
to  have  when  he  gets  well." 

"  Well,  but  you  don't  say  so/'  said  Mrs.  Pepper, 
smiling;  "'tisn't polite  to  send  it  this  way." 

"  Whatever'll  we  do,  mammy  !  "  said  all  four  chil- 
dren in  dismay,  while  Phronsie  simply  stared.  "  Can't 
we  send  'em  at  all  ?  " 

"  Why  yes,"  said  their  mother  ;  "  I  hope  so,  I'm 
sure,  after  you've  got  'em  baked ;  but  you  might 
answer  Jasper's  letter  I  should  think,  and  tell  him 
about  'em,  and  the  'gingerbread  boy'." 

"Oh  dear,"  said  Polly,  ready  to  fly,  "'I  couldn't 
mamsie  ;  I  never  wrote  a  letter." 

"  Well,  you  never  had  one  before,  did  you  ?  "  said 
her  mother,  composedly  biting  her  thread.  "  Never 


And  How  They  Grew.  183 

say  you  can't,  Polly,  'cause  you  don't  know  what  you 
can  do  till  you've  tried." 

"  You  write,  Ben,"  said  Polly,  imploringly. 

"  No,"  said  Ben,  "  I  think  the  nicest  way  is  for  all 
to  say  somethin',  then  'twont  be  hard  for  any 
of  us." 

"Where's  the  paper,"  queried  Polly,  "coming 
from,  I  wonder  !  " 

"  Joel,"  said  Mrs.  Pepper,  "  run  to  the  bureau  in 
the  bedroom,  and  open  the  top  drawer,  and  get  a 
green  box  there." 

So  Joel,  quite  important  at  the  errand,  departed, 
and  presently  put  the  designated  box  into  his 
mother's  hand. 

"  There,  now  I'm  going  to  give  you  this,"  and  she 
took  out  a  small  sheet  of  paper  slightly  yellowed  by 
age  ;  but  being  gilt-edged,it  looked  very  magnificent 
to  the  five  pairs  of  eyes  directed  to  it. 

"  Now  Ben,  you  get  the  ink  bottle  and  the  pen, 
and  then  go  to  work." 

So  Ben  reached  down  from  the  upper  shelf  in  the 
cupboard  the  ink  bottle,  and  a  pen  in  a  black  wooden 
penholder. 

"  Oh,  mamsie,"  cried  Polly,  "  that's  where  Phronsie 
bit  it  off  when  she  was  a  baby,  isn't  it  ?  "  holding  up 
the  stubby  end  where  the  little  ball  had  disappeared. 


184  Five  Little  Peppers; 

"  Yes,"  said  Mrs.  Pepper,  "  and  now  you're  going 
to  write  about  her  'gingerbread  boy'  with  it  —  well, 
time  goes,  to  be  sure."  And  she  bent  over  her 
work  again,  harder  than  ever.  Poor  woman !  if  she 
could  only  scrape  together  enough  money  to  get  her 
children  into  school — that  was  the  earnest  wish  of 
her  heart.  She  must  do  it  soon,  for  Ben  was  twelve 
years  old  ;  but  with  all  her  strivings  and  scrimpings 
she  could  only  manage  to  put  bread  into  their  mouths, 
and  live  from  day  to  day.  "  I  know  I  ought  to 
be  thankful  for  that,'  she  said  to  herself,  not  tak- 
ing time  even  to  cry  over  her  troubles.  "  But  oh, 
the  learning  !  they  must  have  that !  " 

"Now,"  said  Polly,  "  how'll  we  do  it  Ben?"  as 
they  ranged  themselves  around  the  table,  on  which  re- 
posed the  cakes  ;  "  you  begin." 

"  How  do  folks  begin  a  letter  ?  "  asked  Ben  in  de- 
spair, of  his  mother. 

"  How  did  Jasper  begin  his  ?  "  asked  Mrs.  Pepper 
back  again. 

"Oh,"  cried  Polly,  running  into  the  bedroom  to 
get  the  precious  missive.  " '  Dear  Miss  Polly '  — 
that's  what  it  says." 

"  Well,"  said  Mrs.  Pepper,  "  then  you'd  better  say, 
'  Dear  Mister  Jasper  '  — or  you  might  say,  '  Dear  Mr. 
King.' " 


And  How  They  Grew.  185 

"Oh,  dear!"  cried  Polly,  "that  would  be  the 
father  then  —  s'pose  he  should  think  we  wrote  to 
him!"  and  Polly  looked  horror-stricken  to  the  last 
degree. 

"There,  there  'tis,"  said  Ben:  '  Dear  Mister  Jas 
per  '  —  now  what'll  we  say  ?  " 

"  Why  say  about  the  cakes,"  replied  Polly. 

"  And  the  '  gingerbread  boy,'  "  cried  Phronsie. 
" Oh,  tell  about  him,  Polly,  do" 

"Yes,  yes,  Phronsie,"  said  Polly,  "we  will  —  why, 
tell  him  how  we  wish  he  could  have  come,  and  that 
we  baked  him  some  cakes,  and  that  we  do  so  want 
him  to  come  just  as  soon  as  he  can." 

"  All  right ! "  said  Ben  ;  so  he  went  to  work  labo- 
riously ;  only  his  hard  breathing  showing  what  a  hard 
task  it  was,  as  the  stiff  old  pen  scratched  up  and 
down  the  paper. 

"There,  that's  done,"  he  cried  at  length  in  great 
satisfaction,  holding  it  up  for  inspection. 

"  Oh,  I  do  wish,"  cried  Polly  in  intense  admiration, 
"  I  could  write  so  nice  and  so  fast  as  you  can,  Ben." 

"  Read  it,  Polly,"  said  Mrs.  Pepper,  in  pride. 

So  Polly  began  :  "  '  Dear  Mister  Jasper  we  were 
all  dreadfully  sorry  that  you  didn't  come  and  so  we 
baked  you  some  cakes.'  —  You  didn't  say  anything 
about  his  being  sick,  Ben." 


1 86  Five  Little  Peppers  ; 

"  I  forgot  it,"  said  Ben,  "  but  I  put  it  in  farther 
down  — you'll  see  if  you  read  on." 

"  '  Baked  you  some  cakes — that  is,  Polly  did,  for 
this  is  Ben  that's  writing." 

"  You  needn't  said  that,  Ben,"  said  Polly,  dissat- 
isfied ;  "  we  all  baked  'em,  I'm  sure.  '  And  just  as 
soon  as  you  get  well  we  do  want  you  to  come  over 
and  have  the  baking.  We're  real  sorry  you're  sick 
—  boneset's  good  for  colds.'  " 

"  Oh,  Ben  ! "  said  Mrs.  Pepper,  "  I  guess  his 
father  knows  what  to  give  him." 

"  And  oh  !  the  bitter  stuff !  "  cried  Polly,  with  a 
wry  face. 

"  Well,  it's  hard  work  to  write,"  said  Ben,  yawn- 
ing "  I'd  rather  chop  wood." 

"  I  wish  I  knew  how,"  exclaimed  Joel,  longingly. 

"  Just  you  try  every  day ;  Ben'll  teach  you,  Joe," 
said  his  mother,  eagerly,  "and  then  I'll  let  you 
write." 

"I  will !  "  cried  Joe ;  "  then,  Dave,  you'll  see  how 
I'll  write  —  I  tell  you  !  " 

"  And  I'm  goin'  to  —  ma,  can't  I  ?  "  said  Davie, 
unwilling  to  be  outdone. 

"  Yes,  you  may,  be  sure,"  said  Mrs.  Pepper,  de 
lighted  ;  "  that'll  make  a  man  of  you  fast." 


And  How  They  Grew. 


187 


"Oh,  boys,"  said    Polly,  lifting  a  very  red   face, 
"you  joggle  the  table  so  I  can't  do  anything." 


WRITING   THE    LETTER. 


"  I  wasn't  jogglin',"  said  Joel ;  "  the  old  thing 
tipped.  Look  !  "  he  whispered  to  Davie,  "  see  Polly, 
she's  writing  crooked."  • 


1 88  Five  Little  Peppers  ; 

So  while  the  others  hung  around  her  and  looked 
over  her  shoulder  while  they  made  their  various  com- 
ments, Polly  finished  her  part,  and  also  held  it  up 
for  inspection. 

"  Let  us  see,"  said  Ben,  taking  it  up. 

u  It's  after,  '  boneset's  good  for  colds,'  "  said 
Polly,  puckering  up  her  face  again  at  the  thought. 

"We  most  of  us  knew  you  were  sick —  I'm  Polly 
now — because  you  didn't  come;  and  we  liked  your 
letter  telling  us  so,"  — 

"  Oh,  Polly !  we  weren't  glad  to  hear  he  was  sick  !  " 
cried  Ben,  in  horror. 

"  I  didn't  say  so  !  "  cried  Polly,  starting  up.  "  Why, 
Ben  Pepper,  I  never  said  so  !  "  and  she  looked  ready 
to  cry. 

"  It  sounds  something  like  it,  don't  it,  mammy  ? " 
said  Ben,  unwilling  to  give  her  pain,  but  appealing  to 
Mrs.  Pepper. 

"  Polly  didn't  mean  it,"  said  her  mother  consol- 
ingly; "but  if  I  were  you,  I'd  say  something  to  ex- 
•  plain  it." 

"  I  can't  put  anything  in  now,"  said  poor  Polly ; 
"there  isn't  any  room  nor  any  more  paper  either  — 
what  shall  I  do !  I  told  you,  Ben,  I  couldn't  write." 
And  Polly  looked  helplessly  from  one  to  the  other 
for  comfort." 


And  How  They  Grew.  189 

"  Yes,  you  can,"  said  Ben  ;  "  there,  now  I'll  show 
you:  write  it  fine,  Polly — you  write  so  big  —  little 
bits  of  letters,  like  these." 

So  Polly  took  the  pen  again  with  a  sigh.  "  Now 
he  won't  think  so,  I  guess,"  she  said,  much  relieved, 
as  Ben  began  to  read  again. 

"  I'll  begin  yours  again,"  Ben  said  :  "  '  We  most  of 
us  knew  you  were  sick  because  you  didn't  come,  and 
we  liked  your  letter  telling  us  so  because  we'd  all 
felt  so  badly,  and  Phronsie  cried  herself  to  sleep  '  — 
(that's  good,  I'm  sure.)  '  The  "gingerbread  boy"  is  for 
your  father  —  please  excuse  it,  but  Phronsie  would 
make  it  for  him  because  he  is  sick.  There  isn't  any 
more  to  write,  and  besides  I  can't  write  good,  and 
Ben's  tired.  From  all  of  us.'  " 

"  Why,  how's  he  to  know  ?  "  cried  Ben.  "  That 
won't  do  to  sign  it." 

"  Well,  let's  say  from  Ben  and  Polly  then,"  said 
Polly ;  "  only  all  the  others  want  to  be  in  the  letter." 

"Well,  they  can't  write,"  said  Ben. 

"  We  might  sign  their  names  for  'em,"  suggested 
Polly. 

"  Here's  mine,"  said  Ben,  putting  under  the  "  From 
all  of  us  "  a  big,  bold  "  Ben." 

"  And  here's  mine,"  echoed  Polly,  setting  a  slightly 
crooked  "  Polly  "  by  its  side. 


i go  Five  Little  Peppers  ; 

"  Now  Joe,  you  better  let  Ben  hold  your  hand," 
said  Polly,  warningly.  But  Joel  declaring  he  could 
write  had  already  begun,  so  there  was  no  hope  for 
it ;  and  a  big  drop  of  ink  falling  from  the  pen,  he 
spattered  the"  J  "  so  that  no  one  could  tell  what  it 
was.  The  children  looked  at  each  other  in  despair. 

"  Can  we  ever  get  it  out,  mammy  ?  "  said  Polly, 
running  to  Mrs.  Pepper  with  it. 

"  I  don't  know,"  said  her  mother.  "  How  could 
you  try  it,  Joe  ?  " 

"  I  didn't  mean  to,"  said  Joel,  looking  very  down- 
cast and  ashamed.  '•  The  ugly  old  pen  did  it !  " 

"  Well,"  said  Pollyv  "  it's  got  to  go  ;  we  can't  help 
it."  But  she  looked  so  sorrowful  over  it  that  half 
the  pleasure  was  gone  for  Ben  ;  for  Polly  wanted 
everything  just  right,  and  was  very  particular  about 
things. 

"  Now,  Dave."  Ben  held  his  hand,  and  "  David  " 
went  down  next  to  Joel. 

But  when  it  was  Phronsie's  turn,  she  protested 
that  Polly,  and  no  one  else,  must  hold  her  hand. 

"  It's  a  dreadful  hard  name  to  write  —  Phronsie 
is,"  said  Polly,  as  she  guided  Phronsie's  fat  little 
hand  that  clung  faithfully  to  the  stubby  old  pen. 
"There,  it's  over  now,"  she  cried;  "  and  I'm  thank- 
ful !  I  wouldn't  write  another  for  anything !  " 


And  How  They  Grew.  191 

"  Read  it  all  over  now,  Ben,"  cried  Mrs.  Pepper, 
"  and  don't  speak,  children,  till  he  gets  through." 

"  Don't  it  sound  elegant !  "  said  Polly,  clasping  her 
hands,  when  he  had  finished.  "  I  didn't  think  we 
ever  could  do  it  so  nice,  did  you,  Ben  ? " 

"  No,  indeed,  I  didn't,"  replied  Ben,  in  a  highly 
ecstatic  frame  of  mind.  "  Now  —  oh  !  what'll  we 
do  for  an  envelope  ? "  he  asked  in  dismay. 

"You'll  have  to  do  without  that,"  said  Mrs.  Pep- 
per, "for  there  isn't  any  in  the  house  —  but  see 
here,  children,"  she  added,  as  she  saw  the  sorry  faces 
before  her  —  "you  just  fold  up  the  letter,  and  put  it 
inside  the  parcel ;  that'll  be  just  as  good." 

"  Oh  dear,"  said  Polly ;  "  but  it  would  have  been 
splendid  the  other  way,  mammy  —  just  like  other 
folks!" 

"  You  must  make  believe  this  is  like  other  folks," 
said  Mrs.  Pepper,  cheerily,  "  when  you  can't  do  any 
other  way." 

"  Yes,"  said  Ben,  "  that's  so,  Polly  ;  tie  'em  up 
quick's  you  can,  and  I'll  take  'em  over  to  Deacon 
Blodgett's,  for  he's  goin'  to  start  early  in  the  morn- 
ing." 

So  after  another  last  look  all  around,  Polly  put  the 
cakes  in  the  paper,  and  tied  it  with  four  or  five 
strong  knots,  to  avoid  all  danger  of  its  undoing. 


1 92  Five  Little  Peppers  ; 

"He  never'll  untie  it,  Polly,"  said  Ben;  "that's 
just  like  a  girl's  knots  !  " 

"Why  didn't  you  tie  it  then  ?  "  said  Polly ;  "  I'm 
sure  it's  as  good  as  a  boy's  knots,  and  they  always 
muss  up  a  parcel  so."  And  she  gave  a  loving,  ap- 
proving little  pat  to  the  top  of  the  package,  which, 
despite  its  multitude  of  knots,  was  certainly  very 
neat  indeed. 

"  Now,"  said  Ben,  grasping  the  pen  again,  "  here 
goes  for  the  direction." 

"  Deary,  yes  !  "  said  Polly.  "  I  forgot  all  about 
that ;  I  thought  'twas  done." 

"  How'd  you  s'pose  he'd  get  it  ? "  asked  Ben, 
coolly  beginning  the  "  M." 

"  I  don't  know,"  replied  Polly,  looking  over  his 
shoulder ;  "  s'pose  anybody  else  had  eaten  'em  up, 
Ben  !  "  And  she  turned  pale  at  the  very  thought. 

"There,"  said  Ben,  at  last,  after  a  good  many 
flourishes,  "  now  'tis  done !  you  can't  think  of 
another  thing  to  do  to  it,  Polly !  " 

"  Mamsie,  see  ! "  cried  Polly,  running  with  it  to 
Mrs.  Pepper,  "  isn't  that  fine !  '  Mr.  Jasper  E.  King, 
at  the  Hotel  Hingham.' " 

"  Yes/'  said  Mrs.  Pepper,  admiringly,  to  the  con- 
tent of  all  the  children,  "  I  should  think  it  was  !  " 

"  Let   me   take   it   in    my  hand,"  screamed   Joel, 


And  How  They  Grew.  193 

reaching  eagerly  up  for  the  tempting   brown    parcel. 

"  Be  careful  then,  Joe,"  said  Polly,  with  an  impor- 
tant air. 

So  Joel  took  a  comfortable  feel,  and  then  Davie 
must  have  the  same  privilege.  At  last  it  was  off, 
and  with  intense  satisfaction  the  children  watched 
Ben  disappear  with  it  down  the  long  hill  to  Deacon 
Blodgett's. 

The  next  day  Ben  came  running  in  from  his  work 
at  the  deacon's. 

"  Oh,  Polly,  you  had  'em !  "  he  screamed,  all  out 
of  breath.  "  You  had  'em  !  " 

"  Had  what  ?  "  asked  Polly  in  astonishment.  "  Oh, 
Bensie,  what  do  you  mean  ?  " 

"  Your  flowers,"  he  panted.  "  You  sent  some 
flowers  to  Jasper." 

" Flowers  to  Jasper!"  repeated  Polly,  afraid  Ben 
had  gone  out  of  his  wits. 

"  Yes,"  said  Ben  ;  "  I'll  begin  at  the  beginning. 
You  see,  Polly,  when  I  went  down  this  morning, 
Betsey  was  to  set  me  to  work.  Deacon  Blodgett  and 
Mrs.  Blodgett  had  started  early,  you  know  ;  and 
while  I  was  a-cleanin'  up  the  woodshed,  as  she  told 
me,  all  of  a  sudden  she  said,  as  she  stood  in  the  door 
looking  on,  '  Oh,  Ben,  Mis'  Blodgett  took  some  posies 


194  Five  Little  Peppers; 

along  with  your  parcel.'  '  What?'  said  I;  I  didn't 
know  as  I'd  heard  straight.  '  Posies,  I  said,'  says 
Betsey;  'beautiful  ones  they  were,  too,  the  best  in 
the  garding.  I  heard  her  tell  Mr.  Blodgett  it  would 
be  a  pity  if  that  sick  boy  couldn't  have  some  flowers, 
and  she  knew  the  Pepper  children  were  crazy  about 
'em,  so  she  twisted  'em  in  the  string  around  the  par- 
cel, and  there  they  stood  up  and  looked  fine,  I  tell 
you,  as  they  drove  away.'  So,  Polly  !  " 

"  Bensie  Pepper  ! "  cried  Polly,  taking  hold  of  his 
jacket,  and  spinning  him  round,  "I  told  you  so !  I 
told  you  so  !  " 

"  I  know  you  did,"  said  Ben,  as  she  gave  him  a 
parting  whirl,  "  an'  I  wish  you'd  say  so  about  other 
things,  Polly,  if  you  can  get  'em  so  easy." 


And  How   They   Grew.  195 


CHAPTER   XV. 

JOLLY   DAYS. 

OH  Ben,"  cried  Jasper,  overtaking  him  by  a  smart 
run  as  he  was  turning  in  at  the  little  brown 
gate  one  morning  three  days  after,  "do  wait." 

"  Halloa !  "  cried  Ben,  turning  around,  and  setting 
down  his  load  —  a  bag  of  salt  and  a  basket  of  pota- 
toes —  and  viewing  Jasper  and  Prince  with  great 
satisfaction. 

"  Yes,  here  I  am,"  said  Jasper.  "  And  how  I've 
run  ;  that  fellow  on  the  stage  was  awful  slow  in  get- 
ting here  —  oh,  you're  so  good,"  he  said  and  his  eyes, 
brimful  of  gladness,  beamed  on  Ben.  "The  cakes 
were  just  prime,  and  'twas  great  fun  to  get  your 
letter." 

"  Did  you  like  it  ?  "  asked  Ben,  the  color  up  al1 
over  his  brown  face  — 


196  Five  Little  Peppers  ; 

"  Like  it !  "  cried  Jasper.  "  Why  'twas  just  splen- 
did ;  and  the  cakes  were  royal !  Isn't  Polly  smart 
though,  to  bake  like  that !  "  he  added  admiringly. 

"  I  guess  she  is,"  said  Ben,  drawing  himself  up  to 
his  very  tallest  dimensions.  "  She  knows  how  to  do 
everything,  Jasper  King  !  " 

"  I  should  think  she  did,"  responded  the  boy 
quickly.  "  I  wish  she  was  my  sister,"  he  finished 
longingly. 

"  Well,  I  don't,"  quickly  replied  Ben,  "  for  then 
she  wouldn't  be  mine  ;  and  I  couldn't  think  of  being 
without  Polly!  Was  your  father  angry  about  — 
about  —  'the  gingerbread  boy'?"  he  asked  timidly, 
trembling  for  an  answer. 

"  Oh  dear,"  cried  Jasper,  tumbling  over  on  the 
grass,  "  don't,  don't !  I  shan't  be  good  for  anything 
if  you  make  me  laugh !  oh  !  wasn't  it  funny ; " 
and  he  rolled  over  and  over,  shaking  with  glee. 

"  Yes,"  said  Ben,  immensely  relieved  to  find  that 
no  offence  had  been  taken.  "  But  she  would  send  it ; 
Polly  tried  not  to  have  her,  and  she  most  cried  when 
Phronsie  was  so  determined,  cause  she  said  your 
father  never'd  let  you  come  again  " — 

"  'Twas  just  lovely  in  Phronsie,"  said  the  boy,  sit- 
ting up  and  wiping  his  eyes,  "  but  oh  it  was  so  funny ! 
you  ought  to  have  seen  my  father,  Ben  Pepper." 


And  How  They  Grew.  197 

"  Oh,  then  he  was  angry,  "cried  Ben. 

"  No  indeed  he  wasn't !  "  said  Jasper;  "don't  you 
think  it !  do  you  know  it  did  him  lots  of  good,  for 
he'd  been  feeling  real  badly  that  morning,  he  hadn't 
eaten  any  breakfast,  and  when  he  saw  that  ginger- 
bread boy  " —  here  Jasper  rolled  over  again  with  a 
peal  of  laughter —  "  and  heard  the  message,  he  just 
put  back  his  head,  and  he  laughed  —  why,  I  never 
heard  him  laugh  as  he  did  then  !  the  room  shook  all 
over ;  and  he  ate  a  big  dinner,  and  all  that  afternoon 
he  felt  as  good  as  could  be.  But  he  says  he's  com- 
ing to  see  the  little  girl  that  baked  it  for  him  before 
we  go  home." 

Ben  nearly  tumbled  over  by  the  side  of  Jasper  at 
these  words  —  "Coming  to  see  us  !  "  he  gasped. 

"  Yes,"  said  Jasper,  who  had  scarcely  got  over  his 
own  astonishment  about  it,  for  if  the  roof  had  sud- 
denly whisked  off  on  to  the  church  steeple,  he  couldn't 
have  been  more  amazed  than  when  he  heard  his 
father  say  cheerily  :  "  Well,  Jasper  my  boy,  I  guess 
I  shall  have  to  drive  over  and  see  your  little  girl, 
since  she's  been  polite  enough  to  bake  me  this," 
pointing  to  the  wild-looking  "gingerbread  boy." 

"  Come  in  and  tell  'em  about  it ; "  cried  Ben,  radi- 
antly, picking  up  his  potatoes  and  salt.  "  It's  all 


198  Five  Little  Peppers  ; 

right,  Polly  !  "  he  said  in  a  jubilant  voice,  "for  here's 
Jasper,  and  he'll  tell  you  so  himself." 

"ffttshf"  said  Jasper  warningly,  "don't  let 
Phronsie  hear  ;  well,  here's  my  pet  now,"  and  after 
bobbing  lovingly  to  the  others,  with  eyes  beaming 
over  with  fun,  he  caught  up  the  little  girl  who  was 
screaming  —  "  Oh,  here's  Japser  !  and  my  be-yew-ti- 
ful  doggie  ! " 

"Now  Phronsie,"  he  cried,  "give  me  a  kiss  ;  you 
haven't  any  soft  soap  to-day,  have  you  ?  no  ;  that's 
a  good,  nice  one,"  now  ;  your  '  gingerbread  boy  '  was 
just  splendid  !  " 

"  Did  he  eat  it  ?  "  asked  the  child  in  grave  de- 
light. 

"Well — no — he  hasn't  eaten  it  yet,"  said  Jasper, 
smiling  on  the  others;  "he's  keeping  it  to  look  at, 
Phronsie." 

"I  should  think  so  !  "  groaned  Polly. 

"  Never  mind,  Polly,"  Ben  whispered  ;  "  Jasper's 
been  a-tellin'  me  about  it ;  his  father  liked  it  —  he 
did  truly." 

"  Oh  /"  said  Polly,  "  I'm  so  glad  !  " 

"  He  had  eyes,"  said  Phronsie,  going  back  to  the 
charms  of  the tl  gingerbread  boy." 

"I  know  it,"  said  Jasper  admiringly;  "so  ht 
did." 


And  How  They  Grew.  199 

"  Rather  deep  sunk,  one  of  'em  was,"  muttered 
Ben. 

"And  I'll  bake  you  one,  Japser,"  said  the  child 
as  he  put  her  down  ;  "  I  will  very  truly  —  some 
day." 

"  Will  you,"  smiled  Jasper ;  "  well  then,"  and 
there  was  a  whispered  conference  with  Phronsie  that 
somehow  sent  that  damsel  into  a  blissful  state  of  de- 
light. And  then  while  Phronsie  monopolized  Prince, 
Jasper  told  them  all  about  the  reception  of  the  par- 
cel —  how  very  dull  and  forlorn  he  was  feeling  that 
morning,  Prince  and  he  shut  up  in-doors  —  and  how 
his  father  had  had  a  miserable  night,  and  had  eaten 
scarcely  no  breakfast,  and  just  at  this  juncture  there 
came  a  knock  at  the  door,  "  and  "  said  Jasper,  "  your 
parcel  walked  in,  all  dressed  up  in  flowers !  " 

"They  weren't  our  flowers,"  said  Polly,  honestly. 
"  Mrs.  Blodgett  put  'em  on." 

"Well  she  couldn't  have,  if  you  hadn't  sent  the 
parcel,"  said  Jasper  in  a  tone  of  conviction. 

Then  he  launched  out  into  a  description  of  how 
they  opened  the  package  —  Prince  looking  on,  and 
begging  for  one  of  the  cakes. 

"  Oh,  didn't  you  give  him  one  ? "  cried  Polly  at 
this.  "  Good  old  Prince  !  " 


2oo  Five  Little  Peppers  ; 

"  Yes  I  did,"  said  Jasper,  "  the  biggest  one  of 
all." 

"The  one  I  guess,"  interrupted  Joel,  "with  the 
big  raisin  on  top." 

Polly  spoke  up  quickly  to  save  any  more  remarks 
on  Joel's  part.  "  Now  tell  us  about  your  father  — 
and  the  '  gingerbread  boy.'  " 

So  Jasper  broke  out  with  a  merry  laugh,  into  this 
part  of  the  story,  and  soon  had  them  all  in  such  a 
gale  of  merriment,  that  Phronsie  stopped  playing  out 
on  the  door-step  with  Prince,  and  came  in  to  see 
what  the  matter  was. 

"  Never  mind,"  said  Polly,  trying  to  get  her  breath, 
just  as  Jasper  was  relating  how  Mr.  King  set  up  the 
"gingerbread  boy  "  on  his  writing  table  before  him, 
while  he  leaned  back  in  his  chair  for  a  hearty  laugh. 

"  And  to  make  it  funnier  still,"  said  Jasper 
"  don't  you  think,  a  little  pen-wiper  he  has,  made  like 
a  cap,  hanging  on  the  pen-rack  above  him,  tumbled 
off  just  at  this  very  identical  minute  right  on  the 
head  of  the  c  gingerbread  boy,'  and  there  it  stuck  !  " 

"  Oh  !  "  they  all  screamed,  "  if  we  could  only  have 
seen  it." 

"  What  was  it  ? "  asked  Phronsie,  pulling  Polly's 
sleeve  to  make  her  hear. 

So  Jasper  took  her  in  his  lap,  and  told  how  funny 


THE    GINGERBREAD    BOY    AT  HOME. 


And  How  They  Greiv.  203 

the  "gingerbread  boy"  looked  with  a  cap  on,  and 
Phronsie  clapped  her  hands,  and  laughed  with  the 
rest,  till  the  little  old  kitchen  rang  and  rang  again. 

And  then  they  had  the  baking !  and  Polly  tied  one 
of  her  mother's  ample  aprons  on  Jasper,  as  Mrs. 
Pepper  had  left  directions  if  he  should  come  while 
she  was  away  ;  and  he  developed  such  a  taste  for 
cookery,  and  had  so  many  splendid  improvements  on 
the  Peppers'  simple  ideas,  that  the  children  thought 
it  the  most  fortunate  thing  in  the  world  that  he 
came  ;  and  one  and  all  voted  him  a  most  charming 
companion. 

"  You  could  cook  a  Thanksgiving  dinner  in  this 
stove,  just  as  easy  as  not,"  said  Jasper,  putting  into 
the  oven  something  on  a  little  cracked  plate  that 
would  have  been  a  pie  if  there  were  any  centre  ;  but 
lacking  that  necessary  accompaniment,  probably,  was 
a  short-cake.  "  Just  as  easy  as  not,"  he  repeated  with 
emphasis,  slamming  the  door,  to  give  point  to  his  re- 
marks. 

"  No,  you  couldn't  either,"  said  Ben  at  the  table 
with  equal  decision ;  "  not  a  bit  of  it,  Jasper 
King !  " 

"  Why,  Ben  Pepper  ?  "  asked  Jasper,  "  that  oven's 
big  enough  !  I  should  like  to  know  why  not  ? '' 

"  'Cause  there  isn't  anything  to  cook,"  said    Ben 


204  Five  Little  Peppers  ; 

coolly,  cutting  out  a  piece  of  dough  for  a  jumbl*  -, 
"  we  don't  keep  Thanksgiving." 

"  Not  keep  Thanksgiving!"  said  Jasper,  standing 
quite  still ;  "  never  had  a  Thanksgiving !  well,  I  de- 
clare/' and  then  he  stopped  again. 

"  Yes,"  answered  Ben  ;  "  we  had  one  once  ;  'twas 
last  year  —  but  that  wasn't  much." 

"Well  then,"  said  Jasper,  leaning  over  the  table, 
"I'll  tell  you  what  I  should  think  you'd  do  —  try 
Christmas." 

"Oh,  that's  always  worse,''  said  Polly,  setting 
down  her  rolling-pin  to  think  —  which  immediately 
rolled  away  by  itself  off  from  the  table. 

"  We  never  had  a  Christmas,"  said  little  Davie  re- 
flectively ;  "  what  are  they  like,  Jasper  ?  " 

Jasper  sat  quite  still,  and  didn't  reply  to  this  ques- 
tion for  a  moment  or  two. 

To  be  among  children  who  didn't  like  Thanksgiv- 
ing, and  who  "  never  had  seen  a  Christmas,"  and 
"  didn't  know  what  it  was  like,"  was  a  new  revelation 
to  him. 

"  They  hang  up  stockings,"  said  Polly  softly. 

How  many,  many  times  she  had  begged  her  moth- 
er to  try  it  for  the  younger  ones ;  but  there  was  never 
anything  to  put  in  them,' and  the  winters  were  cold 


And  How  They  Grew.  205 

and  hard,  and  the  strictest  economy  only  carried 
them  through. 

"  Oh  !  "  said  little  Phronsie  in  horror,  "  are  their 
feet  in  'em,  Polly  ?  " 

"No  dear,"  said  Polly ;  while  Jasper  instead  of 
laughing,  only  stared.  Something  requiring  a  deal 
of  thought  was  passing  through  the  boy's  mind  just 
then.  "They  shall  have  a  Christmas!"  he  mut- 
tered, "  I  know  father'll  let  me."  But  he  kept  his 
thoughts  to  himself ;  and  becoming  his  own  gay, 
kindly  self,  he  explained  and  told  to  Phronsie  and 
the  others,  so  many  stories  of  past  Christmases  he 
had  enjoyed,  that  the  interest  over  the  baking  soon 
dwindled  away,  until  a  horrible  smell  of  something 
burning,  brought  them  all  to  their  senses. 

"  Oh  1  the  house  is  burning  ? "  cried  Polly.  "  Oh 
get  a  pail  of  water  !  " 

"  'Tisn't  either,"  said  Jasper,  snuffing  wisely  ; 
"  oh  !  I  know  —  I  forgot  all  about  it  —  I  do  beg  your 
pardon."  And  running  to  the  stove,  he  knelt  down 
and  drew  out  of  the  oven,  a  black,  odorous  mass, 
which  with  a  crest-fallen  air  he  brought  to  Polly. 

"  I'm  no  end  sorry  I  made  such  a  mess  of  it,"  he 
said,  "  I  meant  it  for  you." 

"  'Tisn't  any  matter,"  said  Polly  kindly. 

"  And  now  do  you  go  on,"  cried  Joel    and    David 


206  Fwe  Little  Peppers  ; 

both  in  the  same  breath,  "  all  about  the  Tree,  you 
know." 

"  Yes,  yes,"  said  the  others ;  "  if  you're  not  tired, 
Jasper." 

"  Oh,  no,"  cried  their  accommodating  friend,  "  I 
love  to  tell  about  it ;  only  wait  —  let's  help  Polly 
clear  up  first." 

So  after  all  traces  of  the  frolic  had  been  tidied  up, 
and  made  nice  for  the  mother's  return,  they  took 
seats  in  a  circle  and  Jasper  regaled  them  with  story 
and  reminiscence,  till  they  felt  as  if  fairy  land  were 
nothing  to  it ! 

"How  did  you  ever  live  through  it,  Jasper  King,' 
said  Polly,  drawing  the  first  long  breath  she  had 
dared  to  indulge  in.  "  Such  an  elegant  time  !  " 

Jasper  laughed.  "  I  hope  I'll  live  through  plenty 
more  of  them,"  he  said  merrily.  "We're  going  to 
sister  Marian's  again,  father  and  I ;  we  always  spend 
our  Christmas  there,  you  know,  and  she's  to  have  all 
the  cousins,  and  I  don't  know  how  many  more  ;  and 
a  tree  —  but  the  best  of  all,  there's  going  to  be  a 
German  carol  sung  by  choir  boys  —  I  shall  like  that 
best  of  all." 

"What  are  choir  boys? "  asked  Polly  who  was  in- 
tensely fond  of  music. 

"  In  some  of  the  churches,"  explained  Jasper,  "the 


Ami  How  They  Grew.  207 

choir  is  all  boys  ;  and  they  do  chant,  and  sing  an- 
thems perfectly  beautifully,  Polly  !  " 

"  Do  you  play  on  the  piano,  and  sing  ? "  asked 
Polly,  looking  at  him  in  awe. 

"  Yes,"  said  the  boy  simply  ;  "  I've  played  ever 
since  I  was  a  little  fellow,  no  bigger'n  Phronsie." 

"  Oh,  Jasper  !  "  cried  Polly,  clasping  her  hands, 
her  cheeks  all  aflame  —  "  do  you  mean  to  say  you  do 
really  and  truly  play  on  the  piano  ?  " 

"Why  yes,"  said  the  boy,  looking  into  her  flash- 
ing eyes. 

"  Polly's  always  crazy  about  music,"  explained 
Ben ;  "  she'll  drum  on  the  table,  and  anywhere,  to 
make  believe  it's  a  piano." 

"  There's  Dr.  Fisher  going  by,"  said  Joel,  who,  now 
that  they  had  gotten  on  the  subject  of  music,  began 
to  find  prickles  running  up  and  down  his  legs  from 
sitting  so  still.  "  I  wish  he'd  stop." 

"Is  he  the  one  that  cured  your  measles  —  and 
Polly's  eyes  ?  "  asked  Jasper  running  to  the  window! 
"  I  want  to  see  him." 

"  Well  there  he  is,"  cried  Ben,  as  the  doctor  put 
his  head  out  of  the  gig  and  bowed  and  smiled  to  the 
little  group  in  the  window. 

"  He's  just  lovely,"  cried  Polly,  "oh!  I  wish  you 
knew  him." 


208  Five  Little  Peppers , 

"  If  father's  sick  again,"  said  Jasper,  "  we'll  have 
him  —  he  looks  nice,  anyway  —  for  father  don't  like  the 
doctor  over  in  Hingham  —  do  you  know  perhaps 
we'll  come  again  next  summer ;  wouldn't  that  be 
nice !  " 

"  Oh  ! "  cried  the  children  rapturously  ;  "  do  come, 
Jasper,  do  f" 

"Well,  maybe,"  said  Jasper,  "  if  father  likes  it  and 
sister  Marian  and  her  family  will  come  with  us  ;  they 
do  some  summers.  You'd  like  little  Dick,  I  know," 
turning  to  Phronsie.  "  And  I  guess  all  of  you'd 
like  all  of  them,"  he  added,  looking  at  the  group  of' 
interested  listeners.  "  They  wanted  to  come  this 
year  awfully  ;  they  said  —  '  Oh  grandpapa,  do  let  us 
go  with  you  and  Jappy,  and'  " 

"  What !  "  said  the  children. 

"  Oh,"  said  Jasper  with  a  laugh,  "  they  call  me 
Jappy  —  its  easier  to  say  than  Jasper ;  ever  so  many 
people  do  for  short.  You  may  if  you  want  to,"  he 
said  looking  around  on  them  all. 

"  How  funny !  "  laughed  Polly,  "  But  I  don't  know 
as  it  is  any  worse  than  Polly  or  Ben." 

"Or  Phronsie,"  said  Jappy.  "Don't  you  like 
Jappy  ?  "  he  said,  bringing  his  head  down  to  her  level, 
as  she  sat  on  the  little  stool  at  his  feet,  content  in 
listening  to  the  merry  chat. 


And  How  They  Grew.  209 

"  Is  that  the  same  as  Japser  ? "  she  asked  gravely. 

"  Yes,  the  very  same,"  he  said. 

When  they  parted  —  Jappy  and  the  little  Peppers 
were  sworn  friends  ;  and  the  boy,  happy  in  his  good 
times  in  the  cheery  little  home,  felt  the  hours  long 
between  the  visits  that  his  father,  when  he  saw  the 
change  that  they  wrought  in  his  son,  willingly  allowed 
him  to  make. 

"  Oh  dear !  "  said  Mrs.  Pepper  one  day  in  the  last  of 
September  —  as  a  carriage  drawn  by  a  pair  of  very 
handsome  horses,  stopped  at  their  door,  "  here  comes 
Mr.  King  I  do  believe  ;  we  never  looked  worse'n 
we  do  to-day  !  " 

"  I  don't  care,"  said  Polly,  flying  out  of  the  bed- 
room. "  Jappy's  with  him,  mamma,  and  it'll  be  nice 
I  guess.  At  any  rate,  Phronsie's  clean  as  a  pink," 
she  thought  to  herself  looking  at  the  little  maiden, 
busy  with  "  baby  "  to  whom  she  was  teaching  deport- 
ment in  the  corner.  But  there  was  no  time  to  "  fix 
up;"  for  a  tall,  portly  gentleman,  leaning  on  his 
heavy  gold  cane,was  walking  up  from  the  little  brown 
gate  to  the  big  flat-stone  that  served  as  a  step.  Jas- 
per and  Prince  followed  decorously. 

"  Is  this  little  Miss  Pepper  ?  "  he  asked  pompously 
of  Polly,  who  answered  his  rap  on  the  door.  Now 


2  i  o  Five  Little  Peppers  ; 

whether  she  was  little  "  Miss  Pepper"  she  never 
had  stopped  to  consider. 

"I  don't  know  sir ;  I'm  Polly."  And  then  she 
blushed  bright  as  a  rose,  and  the  laughing  brown 
eyes  looked  beyond  to  Jasper,  who  stood  on  the  walk, 
and  smiled  encouragingly. 

"  Is  your  mother  in  ?  "  asked  the  old  gentleman, 
who  was  so  tall  he  could  scarcely  enter  the  low  door. 
And  then  Mrs.  Pepper  came  forward,  and  Jasper  in- 
troduced her,  and  the  old  gentleman  bowed,  and  sat 
down  in  the  seat  Polly  placed  for  him.  And  Mrs. 
Pepper  thanked  him  with  a  heart  overflowing  with 
gratitude,  through  lips  that  would  tremble  even  then, 
for  all  that  Jasper  had  done  for  them.  And  the  old 
gentleman  said  —  "  Humph  !  "  but  he  looked  at  his 
son,  and  something  shone  in  his  eye  just  for  a 
moment. 

Phronsie  had  retreated  with  "  baby  "  in  her  arms 
behind  the  door  on  the  new  arrival.  But  seeing 
everything  progressing  finely,  and  overcome  by  her 
extreme  desire  to  see  Jappy  and  Prince,  she  began 
by  peeping  out  with  big  eyes  to  observe  how  things 
were  going  on.  Just  then  the  old  gentleman  hap- 
pened to  say,  "  Well,  where  is  my  little  girl  that 
baked  me  a  cake  so  kindly  ?  " 

Then    Phronsie,  forgetting   all  else  but  her  "  poor 


And  How  They  Grew.  213 

sick  man,"  who  also  was  "Jasper's  father,"  rushed 
out  from  behind  the  door,  and  coming  up  to  the 
stately  old  gentleman  in  the  chair,  she  looked  up 
pityingly,  and  said,  shaking  her  yellow  head,  "  Poor, 
sick  man,  was  my  boy  good  ?  " 

After  that  there  was  no  more  gravity  and  cere- 
mony. In  a  moment,  Phronsie  was  perched  upon 
old  Mr.  King's  knee,  and  playing  with  his  watch  ; 
while  the  others,  freed  from  all  restraint,  were  chat- 
ting and  laughing  happily,  till  some  of  the  cheeri- 
ness  overflowed  and  warmed  the  heart  of  the  old 
gentleman. 

"  We  go  to-morrow,"  he  said,  rising,  and  looking 
at  his  watch.  "  Why,  is  it  possible  that  we  have 
been  here  an  hour  '  there,  my  little  girl,  will  you 
give  me  a  kiss  ? "  and  he  bent  his  handsome  old 
head  down  to  the  childish  face  upturned  to  his  con- 
fidingly. 

"  Don't  go,"  said  the  child,  as  she  put  up  her  little 
lips  in  grave  confidence.  "  I  do  like  you  —  I  do  !  " 

"Oh,  Phronsie,"  began  Mrs.  Pepper. 

"  Don't  reprove  her,  madam,"  said  the  old  gentle- 
man, who  liked  it  immensely.  "  Yes,  we  go  to-mor- 
row," he  said,  looking  around  on  the  group  to  whom 
this  was  a  blow  they  little  expected.  They  had 
surely  thought  Jasper  was  to  stay  a  week  longer. 


214  Five  Little  Peppers  ; 

"  I  received  a  telegram  this  morning,  that  I 
must  be  in  the  city  on  Thursday.  And  besides, 
madam,"  he  said,  addressing  Mrs.  Pepper,  "  I  think 
the  climate  is  bad  for  me  now,  as  it  induces  rheuma- 
tism. The  hotel  is  also  getting  unpleasant  ;  there 
are  many  annoyances  that  I  cannot  put  up  with ;  so 
that  altogether,  I  do  not  regret  it." 

Mrs.  Pepper,  not  knowing  exactly  what  to  say  to 
this,  wisely  said  nothing.  Meantime,  Jappy  and  the 
little  Peppers  were  having  a  sorry  time  over  in  the 
corner  by  themselves. 

"Well,  I'll  write,"  cried  Jasper,  not  liking  to  look 
at  Polly  just  then,  as  he  was  sure  he  should'nt  want 
any  one  to  look  at  him,  if  he  felt  like  crying.  "  And 
you  must  answer  'em  all." 

"Oh,  we  will!  we  will!"  they  cried.  "And 
Jappy,  do  come  next  summer,"  said  Joel. 

"  If  father'll  only  say  yes,  we  will,  I  tell  you  !  "  he 
responded  eagerly. 

"  Come,  my  boy,"  said  his  father  the  third  time  ; 
and  Jasper  knew  by  the  tone  that  there  must  be  no 
delay. 

Mr.  King  had  been  nervously  putting  his  hand  in 
his  pocket  during  the  last  few  moments  that  the 
children  were  together;  but  when  he  glanced  at  Mrs. 
Pepper's  eyes,  something  made  him  draw  it  out  again 


And  How  They  Grew.  215 

hastily,  as  empty  as  he  put  it  in.  "  No,  'twouldn't 
do,"  he  said  to  himself ;  "  she  isn't  the  kind  of 
woman  to  whom  one  could  offer  money." 

The  children  crowded  back  their  tears,  and  hastily 
said  their  last  good-bye,  some  of  them  hanging  on 
to  Prince  till  the  last  moment. 

And  then  the  carriage  door  shut  with  a  bang,  Jas- 
per giving  them  a  bright  parting  smile,  and  they  were 
gone. 

And  the  Peppers  went  into  their  little  brown 
house,  and  shut  the  door. 


216  Five  Little  Peppers: 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

GETTING   A    CHRISTMAS    FOR     THE    LITTLE    ONES, 

AND  so  October  came  and  went  The  little 
Peppers  were  very  lonely  after  Jasper  had 
gone  ;  even  Mrs.  Pepper  caught  herself  looking  up 
one  day  when  the  wind  blew  the  door  open  suddenly, 
half  expecting  to  see  the  merry  whole-souled  boy,  and 
the  faithful  dog  come  scampering  in. 

But  the  letters  came  —  and  that  was  a  comfort ; 
and  it  was  fun  to  answer  them.  The  first  one  spoke 
of  Jasper's  being  under  a  private  tutor,  with  his 
cousins  ;  then  they  were  less  frequent,  and  they  knew 
he  was  studying  hard.  Full  of  anticipations  of 
Christmas  himself,  he  urged  the  little  Peppers  to  try 
for  one.  And  the  life  and  spirit  of  the  letter  was  so 
catching,  that  Polly  and  Ben  found  their  souls  fired 
within  them  to  try  at  least  to  get  for  the  little  ones  a 
taste  of  Christmastide. 


And  How  They  Greiu.  217 

"  Now,  mammy,"  they  said  at  last,  one  day  in  the 
latter  part  of  October,  when  the  crisp,  fresh  air  rilled 
their  little  healthy  bodies  with  springing  vitality  that 
must  bubble  over  and  rush  into  something,  "we  don't 
want  a  Thanksgiving  —  truly  we  don't.  But  may 
we  try  for  a  Christmas  —  just  a  little  one,"  they 
added,  timidly,  "  for  the  children  ?  "  Ben  and  Polly 
always  called  the  three  younger  ones  of  the  flock  "  the 
children." 

To  their  utter  surprise,  Mrs.  Pepper  looked  mildly 
assenting,  and  presently  she  said — 

"  Well,  I  don't  see  why  you  can't  try ;  'twon't  do 
any  harm,  I'm  sure." 

You  see  Mrs.  Pepper  had  received  a  letter  from 
Jasper,  which  at  present  she  didn't  feel  called  upon 
to  say  anything  about. 

"  Now,"  said  Polly,  drawing  a  long  breath,  as  she 
and  Ben  stole  away  into  a  corner  to  "  talk  over  "  and 
lay  plans,  "  what  does  it  mean  ?  " 

"  Never  mind,"  said  Ben ;  "  as  long  as  she's  given- 
us  leave  I  don't  care  what  it  is." 

"  I  neither,"  said  Polly,  with  the  delicious  feeling 
as  if  the  whole  world  were  before  them  where  to 
choose  ;  "  it'll  be  just  gorgeous,  Ben  !  " 

"  What's  that  ?  "  asked  Ben,  who  was  not  as  much 


2 1 8  Five  Little  Peppers  ; 

given  to  long  words  as  Polly,  who  dearly  loved  to  be 
fine  in  language  as  well  as  other  things. 

"  Oh,  it's  something  Jappy  said  one  day ;  and  I 
asked  him,  and  he  says  it's  fine,  and  lovely,  and  all 
that,"  answered  Polly,  delighted  that  she  knew  some- 
thing she  could  really  tell  Ben. 

"  Then  why  not  say  fine  ?  "  commented  Ben,  prac- 
tically, with  a  little  upward  lift  of  his  nose. 

"Oh,  I'd  know,  I'm  sure,"  laughed  Polly.  "Let's 
think  what'll  we  do  for  Christmas  —  how  many  weeks 
are  there,  anyway,  Ben  ? "  And  she  began  to  count 
on  her  fingers. 

"That's  no  way,"  said  Ben,  "I'm  going  to  get  the 
Almanac." 

So  he  went  to  the  old  clock  where  hanging  up 
by  its  side,  was  a  "  Farmer's  Almanac." 

"  Now,  we'll  know,"  he  said,  coming  back  to  their 
corner.  So  with  heads  together  they  consulted  and 
counted  up  till  they  found  that  eight  weeks  and  three 
days  remained  in  which  to  get  ready. 

"  Dear  me ! "  said  Polly,  it's  most  a  year,  isn't  it, 
Ben  ?  " 

"  'Twon't  be  much  time  for  us,"  said  Ben,  who 
thought  of  the  many  hours  to  be  devoted  to  hard 
work  that  would  run  away  with  the  time.  "  We'd 
better  begin  right  away,  Polly." 


And  How  They  Grew.  219 

"  Well,  all  right,"  said  Polly,  who  could  scarcely  keep 
her  fingers  still,  as  she  thought  of  the  many  things 
she  should  so  love  to  do  if  she  could.  "  But  first, 
Ben,  what  let's  do  ?  " 

"  Would  you  rather  hang  up  their  stockings  ?  "  asked 
Ben,  as  if  he  had  unlimited  means  at  his  disposal ; 
"  or  have  a  tree  ?  " 

"  Why,"  said  Polly,  with  wide  open  eyes  at  the  two 
magnificent  ideas,  "  we  haven't  got  anything  to  put  ir 
the  stockings  when  we  hang  'em,  Ben." 

"  That's  just  it,"  said  Ben.  "  Now,  wouldn't  it  be 
better  to  have  a  tree,  Polly  ?  I  can  get  that  easy  in 
the  woods,  you  know." 

"  Well," interrupted  Polly,  eagerly,  "  we  haven't  got 
anything  to  hang  on  that,  either,  Ben.  You  know 
Jappy  said  folks  hang  all  sorts  of  presents  on  the 
branches.  So  I  don't  see,"  she  continued,  impatiently, 
"  as  that's  any  good.  We  can't  do  anything,  Ben 
Pepper,  so  there  !  there  isn't  anything  to  do  anything 
with,"  and  with  a  flounce  Polly  sat  down  on  the  old 
wooden  stool,  and  folding  her  hands  looked  at  Ben 
in  a  most  despairing  way. 

"  I  know,"  said  Ben,  "  we  haven't  got  much." 

"  We  haven't  got  anything,"  said  Polly,  still  looking 
at  him. 


22O  Five  Little  Peppers  ; 

"  Why,  we've  got  a  tree,"  replied  Ben,  hopefully. 

"  Well,  what's  a  tree,"  retorted  Polly,  scornfully. 
"  Anybody  can  go  out  and  look  at  a  tree  out- 
doors." 

"  Well,  now,  I  tell  you,  Polly,"  said  Ben,  sitting 
down  on  the  floor  beside  her,  and  speaking  very 
slowly  and  decisively,  "  we've  got  to  do  something 
'cause  we've  begun  ;  and  we  might  make  a  tree  real 
pretty." 

"  How  ?  "  asked  Polly,  ashamed  of  her  ill-humor, 
but  not  in  the  least  seeing  how  anything  could  be 
made  of  a  tree.  "  How,  Ben  Pepper  ?  " 

"Well,"  said  Ben,  pleasantly,  "we'd  set  it  up  in 
the  corner  —  " 

"Oh,  no,  not  in  the  corner,"  cried  Polly,  whose 
spirits  began  to  rise  a  little  as  she  saw  Ben  so  hope- 
ful. "  Put  it  in  the  middle  of  the  room,  do  /" 

"  I  don't  care  where  you  put  it,"  said  Ben,  smiling, 
happy  that  Polly's  usual  cheerful  energy  had  returned, 
"  but  I  thought  —  'twill  be  a  little  one,  you  know,  and 
I  thought  'twould  look  better  in  the  corner." 

"  What  else  ?  "  asked  Polly,  eager  to  see  how  Ben 
would  dress  the  tree. 

"Well,"  said  Ben,  "you  know  the  Henderson  boys 
gave  me  a  lot  of  corn  last  week." 


And  How  They  Grew.  221 

"  I  don't  see  as  that  helps  much,"  said  Polly,  still 
incredulous.  "  Do  you  mean  hang  the  cobs  on  the 
branches,  Ben  ?  That  would  be  just  dreadful  !  " 


THE    CONSl'IU  \  K'KS. 


"  I  should  think  likely,"  laughed  Ben.  "  No,  indeed, 
Polly  Pepper  !  but  if  we  should  pop  a  lot,  oh !  a 
bushel,  and  then  we  should  string  'em,  we  could  wind 
it  all  in  and  out  among  the  branches,  and  —  " 

"  Why,  wouldn't  that  be  pretty  ? "  cried  Polly, 
"  real  pretty  —  and  we  can  do  that,  I'm  sure." 


222  Five  Little  Peppers  ; 

"  Yes,"  continued  Ben  ;  "  and  then,  don't  you 
know,  there's  some  little  candle  ends  in  that  box  in 
the  Provision  Room,  maybe  mammy'd  give  us  them." 

"  I  don't  believe  but  she  would,"  cried  Polly } 
"  twould  be  just  like  Jappy's  if  she  would  !  Let's 
ask  her  now  —  this  very  same  minute!  " 

And  they  scampered  hurriedly  to  Mrs.  Pepper,  who 
to  their  extreme  astonishment,  after  all,  said  "yes," 
and  smiled  encouragingly  on  the  plan. 

"  Isn't  mammy  good  ?  "  said  Polly,  with  loving  grat- 
itude, as  they  seated  themselves  again. 

"Now  we're  all  right,"  exclaimed  Ben,  "and  I  tell 
you  we  can  make  the  tree  look  perfectly  splendid, 
Polly  Pepper  ! " 

"  And  I'll  tell  you  another  thing,  Ben,"  Polly  said, 
"oh!  something  elegant!  You  must  get  ever  so  many 
hickory  nuts  ;  and  you  know  those  bits  of  bright 
paper  I've  got  in  the  bureau  drawer  ?  Well,  we  can 
paste  them  on  to  the  nuts  and  hang  'em  on  for  the 
balls  Jappy  tells  of." 

"  Polly,"  cried  Ben,  "  it'll  be  such  a  tree  as  never 
was,  won't  it  ?  " 

"  Yes  ;  but  dear  me,"  cried  Polly,  springing  up, 
"  the  children  are  coming  !  Wasn't  it  good,  grandma 
wanted  'em  to  come  over  this  afternoon,  so's  we  could 


And  How  They  Grew.  223 

talk !  Now  hush  !  "  as  the  door  opened  to  admit  the 
noisy  little  troop. 

"  If  you  think  of  any  new  plan,"  whispered  Ben, 
behind  his  hand,  while  Mrs.  Pepper  engaged  their  at- 
tention, "you'll  have  to  come  out  into  the  woodshed 
to  talk  after  this." 

"I  know  it,"  whispered  Polly  back  again  :  "oh  ! 
we've  got  just  heaps  of  things  to  think  of,  Bensie  !  " 

Such  a  contriving  and  racking  of  brains  as  Polly 
and  Ben  set  up  after  this !  They  would  bob  over  at 
each  other,  and  smile  with  significant  gesture  as  a 
new  idea  would  strike  one  of  them,  in  the  most  mys- 
terious way  that,  if  observed,  would  drive  the  others 
almost  wild.  And  then,  frightened  lest  in  some  hila- 
rious moment  the  secret  should  pop  out,  the  two  con- 
spirators would  betake  themselves  to  the  wood-shed 
as  before  agreed  on.  But  Joel,  rinding  this  out,  fol- 
lowed them  one  day  —  or,  as  Polly  said,  tagged  —  so 
that  was  no  good. 

"  Let's  go  behind  the  wood-pile,"  she  said  to  Ben, 
in  desperation ;  "  he  can't  hear  there,  if  we  whisper 
real  soft." 

"  Yes,  he  will,"  said  Ben,  who  knew  Joel's  hearing 
faculties  much  better.  "  We'll  have  to  wait  till  they're 
a-bed." 


224  Five  Little  Peppers  ; 

So  after  that,  when  nightfall  first  began  to  make  its 
appearance,  Polly  would  hint  mildly  about  bedtime. 

"  You  hustle  us  so  !  "  said  Joel,  after  he  had  been 
sent  off  to  bed  for  two  or  three  nights  unusually 
early. 

"  Oh,  Joey,  it's  good  for  you  to  get  to  bed,"  said 
Polly,  coaxingly  ;  "  it'll  make  you  grow,  you  know, 
real  fast." 

"  Well,  I  don't  grow  a-bed,"  grumbled  Joel,  who 
thought  something  was  in  the  wind.  "  You  and  Ben 
are  going  to  talk,  I  know,  and  wink  your  eyes,  as  soon 
as  we're  gone." 

"  Well,  go  along,  Joe,  that's  a  good  boy."  said  Poll}-; 
laughing,  "  and  you'll  know  some  day." 

"  What'll  you  give  me  ?  "  asked  Joel,  seeing  a  bar- 
gain, his  foot  on  the  lowest  stair  leading  to  the  loft, 
"  say,  Polly  ?  " 

"  Oh,  I  haven't  got  much  to  give,"  she  said,  cheerily  ; 
"  but  I'll  tell  you  what,  Joey  —  I'll  tell  you  a  story 
every  day  that  you  go  to  bed." 

"  Will  you  ?  "  cried  Joe,  hopping  back  into  the  room. 
"  Begin  now,  Polly,  begin  now  !  " 

"  Why,  you  haven't  been  to  bed  yet,"  said  Polly. 
"  so  I  can't  til!  to-morrow." 


And  How  They  Grew.  225 

"  Yes,  I  have  —  you've  made  us  go  for  three  —  no, 
I  guess  fourteen  nights,"  said  Joel,  indignantly. 

"  Well,  you  were  made  to  go,"  laughed  Polly.  "  I 
said  if  you'd  go  good,  you  know ;  so  run  along,  Joe, 
and  I'll  tell  you  a  nice  one  to-morrow." 

"It's  got  to  be  long,"  shouted  Joel,  when  he  saw 
he  could  get  no  more,  making  good  time  up  to  the 
loft. 

To  say  that  Polly,  in  the  following  days,  was  Mas- 
ter Joel's  slave,  was  stating  the  case  lightly.  How- 
ever, she  thought  by  her  story-telling  she  got  off  easily, 
as  each  evening  saw  the  boys  drag  their  unwilling  feet 
to-bedward,  and  leave  Ben  and  herself  in  peace  to 
plan  and  work  undisturbed.  There  they  would  sit  by 
the  little  old  table,  around  the  one  tallow  candle, 
while  Mrs.  Pepper  sewed  away  busily,  looking  up  to 
smile  or  to  give  some  bits  of  advice  ;  keeping  her  own 
secret  meanwhile,  which  made  her  blood  leap  fast,  as 
the  happy  thoughts  nestled  in  her  heart  of  her  little 
ones  and  their  coming  glee.  And  Polly  made  the 
loveliest  of  paper  dolls  for  Phronsie  out  of  the  rest 
of  the  bits  of  bright  paper  ;  and  Ben  made  windmills 
and  whistles  for  the  boys ;  and  a  funny  little  carved 
basket  with  a  handle,  for  Phronsie,  out  of  a  hickory 
nut  shell ;  and  a  new  pink  calico  dress  for  Seraphina 
peered  out  from  the  top  drawer  of  the  old  bureau  in 


226  Five   Little    Peppers; 

the  bed-room,  whenever  anyone  opened  it  —  for  Mrs. 
Pepper  kindly  let  the  children  lock  up  their  treasures 
there  as  fast  as  completed. 

"  I'll  make  Seraphina  a  bonnet,"  said  Mrs.  Pepper, 
"  for  there's  that  old  bonnet-string  in  the  bag,  you 
know,  Polly,  that'll  make  it  beautiful." 

"Oh,  do,  mother,"  cried  Polly,  "she's  been  wanting 
a  new  one  awfully." 

"  And  I'm  going  to  knit  some  mittens  for  Joel  and 
David,"  continued  Mrs.  Pepper ;  "  'cause  I  can  get 
the  yarn  cheap  now.  I  saw  some  down  at  the  store 
yesterday  I  could  have  at  half  price." 

"  I  don't  believe  anybody'll  have  as  good  a  Christ- 
mas as  we  shall,"  cried  Polly,  pasting  on  a  bit  of 
trimming  to  the  gayest  doll's  dress  ;  "  no,  not  even 
Jappy." 

An  odd  little  smile  played  around  Mrs.  Pepper's 
mouth,  but  she  said  not  a  word,  and  so  the  fun  and 
the  work  went  on. 

The  tree  was  to  be  set  up  in  the  Provision  Room  ; 
that  was  finally  decided,  as  Mrs.  Pepper  showed  the 
children  how  utterly  useless  it  would  be  to  try  having 
it  in  the  kitchen. 

"  I'll  find  the  key,  children,"  she  said,  "  I  think  I 
know  where  'tis,  and  then  we  can  keep  them  out." 


And  How  They  Grew.  227 

"  Well,  but  it  looks  so,"  said  Polly,  demurring  at 
the  prospect. 

"Oh,  no,  Polly,"  said  her  mother  ;  "at  any  rate 
it's  clean." 

"Polly,"  said  Ben,  "we  can  put  evergreen  around, 
you  know." 

"So  we  can,"  said  Polly,  brightly  ;  "oh,  Ben,  you 
do  think  of  the  best  things  ;  we  couldn't  have  had 
them  in  the  kitchen." 

"  And  don't  let's  hang  the  presents  on  the  tree," 
continued  Ben  ;  "  let's  have  the  children  hangup  their 
stockings  ;  they  want  to,  awfully  —  for  I  heard  David 
tell  Joel  this  morning  before  we  got  up  —  they 
thought  I  was  asleep,  but  I  wasn't  —  that  he  did  so 
wish  they  could,  but,  says  he,  '  Don't  tell  mammy, 
'cause  that'll  make  her  feel  bad.'  " 

"  The  little  dears  !  "  said  Mrs.  Pepper,  impulsively 
"  they  shall  have  their  stockings,  too." 

"And  we'll  make  the  tree  pretty  enough,"  said 
Polly,  enthusiastically  ;  "we  shan't  want  the  presents 
to  hang  on ;  we've  got  so  many  things.  And  then 
we'll  have  hickory  nuts  to  eat ;  and  perhaps  mammy'll 
let  us  make  some  molasses  candy  the  day  before," 
she  said,  with  a  sly  look  at  her  mother. 

"You  may,"  said  Mrs.  Pepper,  smiling. 


228  Five  Little  Peppers  ; 

"  Oh,  goody  !  "  they  both  cried,  hugging  each  other 
ecstatically. 

"'  And  we'll  have  a  frolic  in  the  Provision  Room 
afterwards,"  finished  Polly  ;  "  oh  !  ooh  !  " 

And  so  the  weeks  flew  by  —  one,  two,  three,  four, 
five,  six,  seven  eight !  till  only  the  three  days  remained, 
and  to  think  the  fun  that  Polly  and  Ben  had  had  al- 
ready ! 

"  It's  better'n  a  Christmas,"  they  told  their  mother, 
"  to  get  ready  for  it !  " 

"It's  too  bad  you  can't  hang  up  your  stockings," 
said  Mrs.  Pepper,  looking  keenly  at  their  flushed 
faces  and  bright  eyes  ;  "you've  never  hung  'em  up." 

"  That  isn't  any  matter,  mamsie,"  they  both  said, 
cheerily ;  "  it's  a  great  deal  better  to  have  the  chil- 
dren have  a  nice  time  —  oh,  won't  it  be  elegant ! 
p'r'aps  we'll  have  ours  next  year !  " 

For  two  days  before,  the  house  was  turned  upside 
down  for  Joel  to  find  the  biggest  stocking  he 
could ;  but  on  Polly  telling  him  it  must  be  his  own, 
he  stopped  his  search,  and  bringing  down  his  well- 
worn  one,  hung  it  by  the  corner  of  the  chimney  to  be 
ready. 

"You  put  yours  up  the  other  side,  Dave,"  he  ad- 
vised. 

"There  isn't  any  nail,"  cried  David,  investigating. 


And  How  They  Grew.  229 

"  I'll  drive  one,"  said  Joel ,  so  he  ran  out  to  the 
tool-house,  as  one  corner  of  the  woodshed  was  called, 
and  brought  in  the  hammer  and  one  or  two  nails. 

"  Phronsie's  a-goin'  in  the  middle,"  he  said,  with  a 
nail  in  his  mouth. 

"  Yes,  I'm  a-goin'  to  hang  up  my  stockin',"  cried 
the  child,  hopping  from  one  toe  to  the  other. 

"Run  get  it,  Phronsie,"  said  Joel,  "and  I'll  hang 
it  up  for  you." 

"  Why,  it's  two  days  before  Christmas  yet,"  said 
Polly,  laughing ;  "  how  they'll  look  hanging  there  so 
long." 

"  I  don't  care,"  said  Joel,  giving  a  last  thump  to 
the  nail ;  "  we're  a-goin'  to  be  ready.  Oh,  dear !  I 
wish  'twas  to-night !  " 

"  Can't  Seraphina  hang  up  her  stocking  ? "  asked 
Phronsie,  coming  up  to  Polly's  side ;  "  and  Baby, 
too  ?  " 

"  Oh,  let  her  have  part  of  yours,"  said  Polly,  "  that'll 
be  best  —  Seraphina  and  Baby,  and  you  have  one 
stocking  together." 

"  Oh,  yes,"  cried  Phronsie,  easily  pleased  ;  "  that'll 
be  best." 

So  for  the  next  two  days,  they  were  almost  distracted; 
the  youngest  ones  asking  countless  questions  about 
Santa  Claus,  and  how  he  possibly  could  get  down  the 


230  Five  Little  Pepper t ; 

chimney,  Joel  running  his  head  up  as  far  as  he  dared, 
to  see  if  it  was  big  enough. 

"  I  guess  he  can,"  he  said,  coming  back  in  a  sooty 
state,  looking  very  much  excited  and  delighted. 

"  Will  he  be  black  like  Joey  ?  "  asked  Phronsie, 
pointing  to  his  grimy  face. 

"No,"  said  Polly  ;  "he  don't  ever  get  black." 

"  Why  ?  "  they  all  asked  ;  and  then,  over  and  over 
they  wanted  the  delightful  mystery  explained. 

"  We  never'll  get  through  this  day,"  said  Polly  in 
despair,  as  the  last  one  arrived.  "  I  wish  'twas  to- 
night, for  we're  all  ready." 

"  Santy's  coming  !  Santy's  coming  !  "  sang  Phron- 
sie, as  the  bright  afternoon  sunlight  went  down  over 
the  fresh,  crisp  snow,  "for  it's  night  now." 

"  Yes,  Santa  is  coming  !  "  sang  Polly  ;  and  "  Santa 
Claus  is  a-coming,"  rang  back  and  forth  through  the 
old  kitchen,  till  it  seemed  as  if  the  three  little  old 
stockings  would  hop  down  and  join  in  the  dance 
going  on  so  merrily. 

"  I'm  glad  mine  is  red/'  said  Phronsie,  at  last,  stop- 
ping in  the  wild  jig,  and  going  up  to  see  if  it  was  all 
safe,  "  'cause  then  Santy'll  know  it's  mine,  won't  he, 
Polly  ? " 

"  Yes,  dear,"  cried  Polly,  catching  her  up.  "Oh, 
Phronsie  !  you  are  going  to  have  a  Christmas  !  " 


'l'.M   GLAD   MINE   IS   RED,"   SAID    PHRONSIE. 


And  How  They  Grew.  233 

"  Well,  I  wish,"  said  Joel,  "  I  had  my  name  on 
mine  !  I  know  Dave'll  get  some  of  my  things." 

"  Oh,  no,  Joe,"  said  Mrs.  Pepper,  "  Santa  Glaus  is 
smart ;  he'll  know  your's  is  in  the  left-hand  corner." 

«  Will  he  ?"  asked  Joel,  still  a  little  fearful. 

"Oh,  yes,  indeed,"  said  Mrs.  Pepper,  confidently. 
"  I  never  knew  him  to  make  a  mistake." 

"  Now,"  said  Ben,  when  they  had  all  made  a  pre- 
tence of  eating  supper,  for  there  was  such  an  excite- 
ment prevailing  that  no  one  sat  still  long  enough  to 
eat  much,  "  you  must  every  one  fly  off  to  bed  as 
quick  as  ever  can  be." 

"  Will  Santa  Glaus  come  faster  then  ? "  asked 
Joel. 

"Yes."    said    Ben,   "just   twice   as  fast." 

"I'm  going,  then,"  said  Joel;  "but  I  ain't  going 
to  sleep,  'cause  I  mean  to  hear  him  come  over  the 
roof;  then  I'm  going  to  get  up,  for  I  do  so  want  a 
squint  at  the  reindeer  !  " 

"I  am,  too,"  cried  Davie,  excitedly.  "Oh,  do 
come,  Joe  !  "  and  he  began  to  mount  the  stairs. 

"Good  night,"  said  Phronsie,  going  up  to  the 
centre  of  the  chimney-piece,  where  the  little  red 
stocking  dangled  limpsily,  "  lift  me  up,  Polly,  do." 

"  What  you    want    to    do  ?  "  asked   Polly,   running 


234  Fwe  Little  Peppers  ; 

and  giving  her  a  jump.  "What  you  goin'  to  do, 
Phronsie  ? " 

"  I  want  to  kiss  it  good  night,"  said  the  child,  "with 
eyes  big  with  anticipation  and  happiness,  hugging 
the  well  worn  toe  of  the  little  old  stocking  affec- 
tionately. "  I  wish  I  had  something  to  give  Santa, 
Polly,  I  do  "  she  cried,  as  she  held  her  fast  in  her 
arms. 

u  Never  mind,  Pet,"  said  Polly,  nearly  smothering 
her  with  kisses  ;  "  if  you're  a  good  girl,  Phronsie,  that 
pleases  Santa  the  most  of  anything." 

"  Does  it  ? "  cried  Phronsie,  delighted  beyond 
measure,  as  Polly  carried  her  into  the  bedroom,  "  then 
I'll  be  good  always,  I  will  /" 


And  How  They  Grew.  235 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

CHRISTMAS     BELLS ! 

IN  the  middle  of  the  night  Polly  woke  up  with  a 
start. 

"  What  in  the  world  ! "  said  she,  and  she  bobbed 
up  her  head  and  looked  over  at  her  mother,  who  was 
still  peacefully  sleeping,  and  was  just  going  to  lie 
down  again,  when  a  second  noise  out  in  the  kitchen 
made  her  pause  and  lean  on  her  elbow  to  listen.  At 
this  moment  she  thought  she  heard  a  faint  whisper, 
and  springing  out  of  bed  she  ran  to  Phronsie's  crib  — 
it  was  empty  !  As  quick  as  a  flash  she  sped  out  into 
the  kitchen.  There,  in  front  of  the  chimney,  were 
two  figures.  One  was  Joel,  and  the  other,  unmistaka- 
bly, was  Phronsie  ! 

"  What  are  you  doing  ? "  gasped  Polly,  holding  on 
to  a  chair. 

The  two  little  night-gowns  turned  round  at  this. 


236  Five  Little  Peppers  ; 

"  Why,  I  thought  it  was  morning,"  said  Joel,  "  and 
I'  wanted  my  stocking.  Oh  !  "  as  he  felt  the  toe, 
which  was  generously  stuffed,  "give  it  to  me,  Polly 
Pepper,  and  I'll  run  right  back  to  bed  again  ! " 

"  Dear  me  !  "  said  Polly ;  "  and  you,  too,  Phronsie  ! 
Why,  it's  the  middle  of  the  night!  Did  I  ever!" 
and  she  had  to  pinch  her  mouth  together  tight  to  keep 
from  bursting  out  into  a  loud  laugh.  "Oh,  dear,  I 
shall  laugh!  don't  look  so  scared,  Phronsie,  there 
won't  anything  hurt  you."  For  Phronsie  who,  on  hear- 
ing Joel  fumbling  around  the  precious  stockings,  had 
been  quite  willing  to  hop  out  of  bed  and  join  him, 
had  now,  on  Polly's  saying  the  dire  words  "  in  the 
middle  of  the  night,"  scuttled  over  to  her  protecting 
side  like  a  frightened  rabbit. 

"  It  never'll  be  morning,"  said  Joel  taking  up  first 
one  cold  toe  and  then  the  other ;  "  you  might  let  us 
have  'em  now,  Polly,  do  /" 

"  No,"  said  Polly  sobering  down  ;  "you  can't  have 
yours  till  Davie  wakes  up,  too.  Scamper  off  to  bed, 
Joey,  dear,  and  forget  all  about  'em  —  and  it'll  be 
morning  before  you  know  it." 

"  Oh,  I'd  rather  go  to  bed,"  said  Phronsie,  trying  to 
ruck  up  her  feet  in  the  little  flannel  night-gown,  which 
was  rather  short,  "  but  I  don't  know  the  way  back, 


And  How  27i£}>  Grew.  237 

Polly.  Take  me,  Polly,  do,"  and  she  put  up  her 
arms  to  be  carried. 

"Oh,  /ain't  a-goin'  back  alone,  either,"  whimpered 
Joel,  coming  up  to  Polly,  too. 

"  Why,  you  came  down  alone,  didn't  you  ?  "  whis- 
pered Polly,  with  a  little  laugh. 

"Yes,  but  I  thought  'twas  morning,"  said  Joel,  his 
teeth  chattering  with  something  beside  the  cold. 

"Well,  you  must  think  of  the  morning  that's 
coming,"  said  Polly,  cheerily.  "I'll  tell  you  —  you 
wait  till  I  put  Phronsie  into  the  crib,  and  then  I'll 
come  back  and  go  half  way  up  the  stairs  with  you." 

"  I  won't  never  come  down  till  it's  mornin'  again," 
said  Joel,  bouncing  along  the  stairs,  when  Polly  was 
ready  to  go  with  him,  at  a  great  rate. 

"  Better  not,"  laughed  Polly,  softly.  "  Be  careful 
and  not  wake  Davie  nor  Ben." 

"  I'm  in"  announced  Joel,  in  a  loud  whisper;  and 
Polly  could  hear  him  snuggle  down  among  the  warm 
bedclothes.  "  Call  us  when  'tis  mornin',  Polly." 

"  Yes,"  said  Polly,  "  I  will  ;  go  to  sleep." 

Phronsie  had  forgotten  stockings  and  everything 
else  on  Polly's  return,  and  was  fast  asleep  in  the  old 
crib.  The  result  of  it  was  that  the  children  slept 
over,  when  morning  did  really  come  ;  and  Polly  had 


238  Five  Little  Peppers  ; 

to  keep  her  promise,  and  go  to  the  foot  of  the  stairs 
and  call — 

"  MERRY  CHRISTMAS  !  oh,  Ben  !  and  Joel !  and 
Davie ! " 

"  Oh  ! — oh  ! — oo-h  !  "  and  then  the  sounds  that  an- 
swered her,  as  with  smothered  whoops  of  expectation 
they  one  and  all  flew  into  their  clothes  ! 

Quick  as  a  flash  Joel  and  Davie  were  down  and 
dancing  around  the  chimney. 

"  Mammy  !  mammy  !  "  screamed  Phronsie,  hugging 
her  stocking,  which  Ben  lifted  her  up  to  unhook  from 
the  big  nail,  "  Santy  did  come,  he  did!"  and  then  she 
spun  around  in  the  middle  of  the  floor,  not  stopping 
to  look  in  it. 

"Well,  open  it,  Phronsie,"  called  Davie,  deep  in 
the  exploring  of  his  own  ;  "  oh  !  isn't  that  a  splendid 
wind-mill,  Joe  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  said  that  individual,  who,  having  found 
a  big  piece  of  molasses  candy,  was  so  engaged  in 
enjoying  a  huge  bite  that,  regardless  alike  of  his  other 
gifts  or  of  the  smearing  his  face  was  getting,  he  gave 
himself  wholly  up  to  its  delights. 

u  Oh,  Joey,"  cried  Polly,  laughingly,  "  molasses 
candy  for  breakfast !  " 

"That's  prime!"  cried  Joel,  swallowing  the  last 
Piorsel.  "Now  I'm  going  to  see  what's  this  —  oh, 


And  How  They  Gray.  241 

Dave,  see  here  !  see  here !  "  he  cried  in  intense  ex 
citement,  pulling  out  a  nice  little  parcel  which,  un- 
rolled, proved  to  be  a  bright  pair  of  stout  mittens. 
"  See  if  you've  got  some  —  look  quick  !  " 

"Yes,  I  have,"  said  David,  picking  up  a  parcel 
about  as  big.  "  No,  that's  molasses  candy." 

"Just  the  same  as  I  had,"  said  Jo'el ;  "  do  look  for 
the  mittens.  P'r'aps  Santa  Glaus  thought  you  had 
some  —  oh,  dear  !  " 

"  Here  they  are  !  "  screamed  Davie.  "  I  have  got 
some,  Joe,  just  exactly  like  yours  !  See,  Joe  !  " 

"  Goody  !  "  said  Joel,  immensely  relieved  ;  for  now 
he  could  quite  enjoy  his  to  see  a  pair  on  Davie's 
hands,  also.  "  Look  at  Phron,"  he  cried,  "  she  hasn't 
got  only  half  of  her  things  out !  " 

To  tell  the  truth,  Phronsie  was  so  bewildered  by 
her  riches  that  she  sat  on  the  floor  with  the  little 
red  stocking  in  her  lap,  laughing  and  cooing  to  her- 
self amid  the  few  things  she  had  drawn  out.  When 
she  came  to  Seraphina's  bonnet  she  was  quite  over- 
come. She  turned  it  over  and  over,  and  smoothed 
out  the  little  white  feather  that  had  once  adorned  one 
of  Grandma  Bascom's  chickens,  until  the  two  boys 
with  their  stockings,  and  the  others  sitting  around  in 
a  group  on  the  floor  watching  them,  laughed  in  glee 
to  see  her  enjoyment. 


242  Five  Little  Peppers  ; 

"  Oh,  dear,"  said  Joel,  at  last,  shaking  his  stock- 
ing ;  "  I've  got  all  there  is.  I  wish  there  were  forty 
Christmases  coming ! " 

"  I  haven't !  "  screamed  Davie  ;  "  there's  some 
thing  in  the  toe." 

"  It's  an  apple,  I  guess,"  said  Joel ;  "  turn  it  up, 
Dave." 

"  'Tisn't  an  apple,"  exclaimed  Davie,  "  'tisn't 
round  —  it's  long  and  thin;  here  'tis."  And  he 
pulled  out  a  splendid  long  whistle  on  which  he  blew 
a  blast  long  and  terrible,  and  Joel  immediately  fol- 
lowing, all  quiet  was  broken  up,  and  the  wildest  hilar. 
ity  reigned. 

"  I  don't  know  as  you'll  want  any  breakfast,"  at 
last  said  Mrs.  Pepper,  when  she  had  got  Phronsie  a 
little  sobered  down. 

"  I  do,  I  do  !  "  cried  Joel. 

"  Dear  me  !  after  your  candy  ? "  said  Polly. 

"  That's  all  gone,"  said  Joel,  tooting  around  the 
table  on  his  whistle.  "  What  are  we  going  to  have 
for  breakfast  ? " 

"  Same  as  ever,  '  said  his  mother  ^  "it  can't  be 
Christmas  all  the  time." 

u  I  wish  'twas,"  said  little  Davie  ;  "  forever  and 
ever  ! " 

"  Forever  an'  ever,"  echoed  little  Phronsie,   flying 


And  How  They  Grew.  243 

up,  her  cheeks  like  two  pinks,  and  Seraphina  in  her 
arms  with  her  bonnet  on  upside  down. 

"  Dear,  dear,"  said  Polly,  pinching  Ben  to  keep 
still  as  they  tumbled  down  the  little  rickety  steps  to 
the  Provision  Room,  after  breakfast.  The  children, 
content  in  their  treasures,  were  holding  high  carnival 
in  the  kitchen.  "  Suppose  they  should  find  it  out  now 
—  I  declare  I  should  feel  most  awfully.  Isn't  it  ele- 
gant ? "  she  asked,  in  a  subdued  whisper,  going  all 
around  and  around  the  tree,  magnificent  in  its  dress 
of  bright  red  and  yellow  balls,  white  festoons,  and 
little  candle-ends  all  ready  for  lighting.  "  Oh,  Ben,  did 
you  lock  the  door  ?  " 

"Yes,"  he  said.  "That's  a  mouse,"  he  added,  as 
a  little  rustling  noise  made  Polly  stop  where  she  stood 
back  of  the  tree  and  prick  up  her  ears  in  great  dis- 
tress of  mind.  "  'Tis  elegant,"  he  said,  turning  around 
in  admiration,  and  taking  in  the  tree  which,  as  Polly 
said,  was  quite  "gorgeous/'  and  the  evergreen 
branches  twisted  up  on  the  beams  and  rafters,  and  all 
the  other  festive  arrangements.  "  Even  Jappy's  isn't 
better,  I  don't  believe  !  " 

"  I  wish  Jappy  was  here,"  said  Polly  with  a  small 
sigh. 

"Well,  he  isn't,"  said  Ben;  "come,  we  must  go 
back  into  the  kitchen,  or  all  the  children  will  be  out 


244  five  Little  Peppers ; 

here.      Look  your  last,   Polly ;    'twon't  do  to  come 
again  till  it's  time  to  light  up." 

"  Mammy  says  she'd  rather  do  the  lighting  up," 
said  Polly. 

"  Had  she  ?  "  said  Ben,  in  surprise  ;  "  oh,  I  sup- 
pose she's  afraid  we'll  set  somethin'  a-fire.  Well,  then, 
we  shan't  come  in  till  we  have  it." 

"  I  can't  bear  to  go,"  said  Polly,  turning  reluc- 
tantly away;  "it's  most  beautiful  —  oh,  Ben,"  and 
she  faced  him  for  the  five-hundredth  time  with  the 
question,  "  is  your  Santa  Glaus  dress  all  sate  ? " 

"  Yes,"  said  Ben,  "  I'll  warrant  they  won't  find  that 
in  one  hurry !  Such  a  time  as  we've  had  to  make 
it!" 

"  I  know  it,"  laughed  Polly  ;  "  don't  that  cotton 
wool  look  just  like  bits  of  fur,  Ben  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  said  Ben,  "  and  when  the  flour's  shaken  over 
me  it'll  be  Santa  himself." 

"We've  got  to  put  back  the  hair  into  mamsie's 
cushion  the  first  thing  to-morrow,"  whispered  Polly 
anxiously,  "  and  we  mustn?t  forget  it,  Bensie." 

"  I  want  to  keep  the  wig  awfully,"  said  Ben.  "  You 
did  make  that  just  magnificent,  Polly  !  " 

"If  you  could  see  yourself,"  giggled  Polly;  "did 
you  put  it  in  the  straw  bed  ?  and  are  you  sure  you 
pulled  the  ticking  over  it  smooth  ?  " 


And  How  They  Grew.  245 

"  Yes,  sir"  replied  Ben,  "  sure's  my  name's  Ben 
Pepper!  if  you'll  only  keep  them  from  seeing  me 
when  I'm  in  it  till  we're  ready —  that's  all  I  ask." 

"Well,"  said  Polly  a  little  relieved,  " but  I  hope 
Joe  won't  look." 

"Come  on!  they're  a-comin'i"  whispered  Ben; 
"  quick  !  " 

"  Polly  !  "  rang  a  voice  dangerously  near  ;  so  near 
that  Polly,  speeding  over  the  stairs  to  intercept  it, 
neatly  fell  on  her  nose. 

"  Where  you  been  ?  "  asked  one. 

"  Let's  have  a  concert,"  put  in  Ben ;  Polly  was  so 
out  of  breath  that  she  couldn't  speak.  "  Come,  now, 
each  take  a  whistle,  and  we'll  march  round  and  round 
and  see  which  can  make  the  biggest  noise." 

In  the  rattle  and  laughter  which  this  procession 
made  all  mystery  was  forgotten,  and  the  two  conspira- 
tors began  to  breathe  freer. 

Five  o'clock !  The  small  ones  of  the  Pepper 
flock,  being  pretty  well  tired  out  with  noise  and  ex- 
citement, all  gathered  around  Polly  and  Ben,  and 
clamored  for  a  story. 

"  Do,  Polly,  do,"  begged  Joel.  "  It's  Christmas, 
and  'twon't  come  again  for  a  year." 

'*  I  can't,"  said  Pollv,  in  such  a  twitter  that   she 


246  Five   Little  Peppers ; 

could  hardly  stand  still,  and  for  the  first  time  in  her 
life  refusing,  "  I  can't  think  of  a  thing." 

"  I  will  then."  said  Ben  ;  "  we  must  do  something," 
he  whispered  to  Polly. 

"  Tell  it  good,"  said  Joel,  settling  himself. 

So  for  an  hour  the  small  tyrants  kept  their  enter- 
tainers well  employed. 

"  Isn't  it  growing  awful  dark  ?  "  said  Davie,  rousing 
himself  at  last,  as  Ben  paused  to  take  breath. 

Polly  pinched  Ben. 

"  Mammy's  a-goin'  to  let  us  know,"  he  whispered 
in  reply.  "We  must  keep  on  a  little  longer." 

"  Don't  stop,"  said  Joel,  lifting  his  head  where  he 
sat  on  the  floor.  "  What  you  whisperin'  for,  Polly  ?  " 

"I'm  not,"  said  Polly,  glad  to  think  she  hadn't 
spoken. 

"  Well,  do  go  on,  Ben,"  said  Joel,  lying  down  again. 

"Polly  '11  have  to  finish  it,"  said  Ben;  "I've  got 
to  go  up-stairs  now." 

So  Polly  launched  out  into  such  an  extravagant 
story  that  they  all,  per  force,  had  to  listen. 

All  this  time  Mrs.  Pepper  had  been  pretty  busy  in 
her  way.  And  now  she  came  into  the  kitchen  and 
set  down  her  candle  on  the  table.  "  Children,"  she 
said.  Everybody  turned  and  looked  at  her  —  her 
tone  was  so  strange  ;  and  when  they  saw  her  dark 


And  How  They  Grew.  247 

eyes  shining  with  such  a  new  light,  little  Davie 
skipped  right  out  into  the  middle  of  the  room. 
"  What's  the  matter,  mammy  ?  " 

"You  may  all  come  into  the  Provision  Room,"  said 
she. 

"What  for?"  shouted  Joel,  in  amazement;  while 
the  others  jumped  to  their  feet,  and  stood  staring. 

Polly  flew  around  like  a  general,  arranging  her 
forces.  "  Let's  march  there,"  said  she  ;  "  Phronsie, 
you  take  hold  of  Davie's  hand,  and  go  first." 

"  I'm  goin'  first,"  announced  Joel,  squeezing  up 
past  Polly. 

"  No,  you  mustn't,  Joe,"  said  Polly  decidedly ; 
"  Phronsie  and  David  are  the  youngest." 

"  They're  always  the  youngest,"  said  Joel,  falling 
back  with  Polly  to  the  rear. 

"  Forward  I'M.  ARCH  !"  sang  Polly.  "Follow  mam- 
sie  ! " 

Down  the  stairs  they  went  with  military  step,  and 
into  the  Provision  Room.  And  then,  with  one  wild 
look,  the  little  battalion  broke  ranks,  and  tumbling 
one  over  the  other,  in  decidedly  unmilitary  style,  pre- 
sented a  very  queer  appearance  ! 

And  Captain  Polly  was  the  queerest  of  all  ;  for 
she  just  gave  one  gaze  at  the  tree,  and  then  sat  right 
down  on  the  floor,  and  said,  "  OH  !  OH  ! " 


248  Five  Little  Peppers; 

Mrs.  Pepper  was  flying  around  delightedly,  and 
saying,  "  Please  to  come  right  in,"  and  "  How  do  you 
do  ? " 

And  before  anybody  knew  it,  there  were  the  laugh- 
ing faces  of  Mrs.  Henderson  and  the  Parson  him- 
self, Doctor  Fisher  and  old  Grandma  Bascom  ;  while 
the  two  Henderson  boys,  unwilling  to  be  defrauded 
of  any  of  the  fun,  were  squeezing  themselves  in  be- 
tween everybody  else,  and  coming  up  to  Polly  every 
third  minute,  and  saying,  "There  —  aren't  you  sur- 
prised ? " 

"  It's  Fairyland  !  "  cried  little  Davie,  out  of  his  wits 
with  joy  ;  "  Oh  !  aren't  we  in  Fairyland,  ma  ? " 

The  whole  room  was  in  one  buzz  of  chatter  and 
fun  ;  and  everybody  beamed  on  everybody  else  ;  and 
nobody  knew  what  they  said,  till  Mrs.  Pepper  called, 
"  Hush  !  Santa  Claus  is  coming  ! " 

A  rattle  at  the  little  old  window  made  everybody 
look  there,  just  as  a  great  snow-white  head  popped 
up  over  the  sill. 

"  Oh  !  "  screamed  Joel,  "  'tis  Santy  !  " 

"  He's  a-comin'  in  !  "  cried  Davie  in  chorus,  which 
sent  Phronsie  flying  to  Polly.  In  jumped  a  little  old 
man,  quite  spry  for  his  years  ;  with  a  jolly,  red  face 
and  a  pack  on  his  back,  and  flew  into  their  midst,  pre- 
pared to  do  his  duty ;  but  what  should  he  do,  instead 


And  How  They  Grew.  249 

of  making  his  speech,  "  this  jolly  Old  Saint " — but 
first  fly  up  to  Mrs.  Pepper,  and  say — "O/i,  mammy 
how  did  you  do  it?" 

"  It's  Ben  !  "  screamed  Phronsie  ;  but  the  little 
Old  Saint  didn't  hear,  for  he  and  Polly  took  hold  of 
hands,  and  pranced  around  that  tree  while  everybody 
laughed  till  they  cried  to  see  them  go  ! 

And  then  it  all  came  out ! 

"  Order!  "  said  Parson  Henderson  in  his  deepest 
tones ;  and  then  he  put  into  Santa  Claus'  hands  a 
letter,  which  he  requested  him  to  read.  And  the 
jolly  Old  Saint,  although  he  was  very  old,  didn't  need 
any  spectacles,  but  piped  out  in  Ben's  loudest  tones  .' 

'•  Dear  Friends  —  A  Merry  Christmas  to  you  all  !  And  that 
you'll  have  a  good  time,  and  enjoy  it  all  as  much  as  I've  en- 
joyed my  good  times  at  your  house,  is  the  wish  of  your  friend, 

JASPER  ELYOT  KING." 

"Hurrah  for  Jappy  !  "  cried  Santa  Claus,  pulling 
his  beard  ;  and  "  Hurrah  for  Jasper ! "  went  all 
around  the  room ;  and  this  ended  in  three  good 
cheers  • —  Phronsie  coming  in  too  late  with  her  little 
crow  —  which  was  just  as  well,  however  ! 

"  Do  your  duty  now,  Santa  Claus  !  "  commanded 
Dr.  Fisher  as  master  of  ceremonies ;  and  everything 
was  as  still  as  a  mouse  ! 


250  Five  Little  Peppers  ; 

And  the  first  thing  she  knew,  a  lovely  brass  cage, 
with  a  dear  little  bird  with  two  astonished  black  eyes 
dropped  down  into  Polly's  hands.  The  card  on  it 
said  :  "  For  Miss  Polly  Pepper,  to  give  her  music  every- 
day in  the  year." 

"Mammy,"  said  Polly;  and  then  she  did  the 
queerest  thing  of  the  whole  !  she  just  burst  into 
tears !  "  I  never  thought  I  should  have  a  bird  for 
my  very  own  !  " 

"  Hulloa  ! "  said  Santa  Glaus,  "  I've  got  something 
myself !  " 

"  Santa  Claus'  clothes  are  too  old,"  laughed  Dr. 
Fisher,  holding  up  a  stout,  warm  suit  that  a  boy 
about  as  big  as  Ben  would  delight  in. 

And  then  that  wonderful  tree  just  rained  down  all 
manner  of  lovely  fruit.  Gifts  came  flying  thick  and 
fast,  till  the  air  seemed  full,  and  each  "one  was 
greeted  with  a  shout  of  glee,  as  it  was  put  into  the 
hands  of  its  owner.  A  shawl  flew  down  on  Mrs. 
Pepper's  shoulders  ;  and  a  work-basket  tumbled  on 
Polly's  head  ;  and  tops  and  balls  and  fishing  poles, 
sent  Joel  and  David  into  a  corner  with  howls  of  de- 
light ! 

But  the  climax  was  reached  when  a  large  wax  doll 
in  a  very  gay  pink  silk  dress,  was  put  into  Phronsie's 
hands,  and  Dr.  Fisher,  stooping  down,  read  in  loud 


And  How  They  Grew.  251 

tones :  "  FOR    PHRONSIE,   FROM    ONE  WHO    ENJOYED 
HER  GINGERBREAD  BOY." 

After  that,  nobody  had  anything  to  say  !  Books 
jumped  down  unnoticed,  and  gay  boxes  of  candy. 
Only  Polly  peeped  into  one  of  her  books,  and  saw  in 
Jappy's  plain  hand  —  "  /  hope  we'll  both  read  thh 
next  summer."  And  turning  over  to  the  title-page, 
she  saw  "  A  Complete  Manual  of  Cookery." 

"The  best  is  to  Come,"  said  Mrs.  Henderson  in 
her  gentle  way,  When  there  was  a  lull  in  the  g.ile- 
she  took  Polly's  hand,  and  led  her  to  a  little  stand  of 
flowers  in  the  corner  concealed  by  a  sheet  —  pinks 
and  geraniums,  heliotropes  and  roses,  blooming  away, 
and  nodding  their  pretty  heads  at  the  happy  sight 
—  Polly  had  her  flowers. 

"  Why  didn't  we  know  ? "  cried  the  children  at 
last,  when  everybody  was  tying  on  their  hoods,  and 
getting  their  hats  to  leave  the  festive  scene,  "  how 
could  you  keep  it  secret,  mammy  ?  " 

"They  all  went  to  Mrs.  Henderson's,"  said  Mrs. 
Pepper  ; "  Jasper  wrote  me,  and  asked  where  to  send 
'em,  and  Mrs.  Henderson  was  so  kind  as  to  say  that 
they  might  come  there.  And  we  brought  'em  over 
last  evening,  when  you  were  all  abed.  I  couldn't  have 
done  it/'  she  said,  bowing  to  the  Parson  and  his 


252  Five  Little  Peppers  ; 

wife,  "if  'twasn't  for  their  kindness  —  never,  in  all 
this  world ! " 

"And  I'm  sure,"  said  the  minister,  looking  around 
on  the  bright  group,  "  if  we  can  help  along  a  bit  of 
happiness  like  this,  it  is  a  blessed  thing  !  " 

And  here  Joel  had  the  last  word.  "You  said 
'twan't  goin'  to  be  Christmas  always,  mammy.  I 
say,"  looking  around  on  the  overflow  of  treasures 
and  the  happy  faces  —  "  'it'll  be  just  forever  /" 


Ami  How  They  Grew.  253 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

EDUCATION    AHEAD. 

AFTER  that  they  couldn't  thank  Jasper  enough  ! 
They  tried  to,  lovingly,  and  an  elaborate  let- 
ter of  thanks,  headed  by  Mrs.  Pepper,  was  drawn  up 
and  sent  with  a  box  of  the  results  of  Polly's  diligent 
study  of  Jasper's  book.  Polly  stripped  off  recklessly 
her  choicest  buds  and  blossoms  from  the  gay  little 
stand  of  flowers  in  the  corner,  that  had  already  be- 
gun to  blossom,  and  tucked  them  into  every  little  nook 
in  the  box  that  could  possibly  hold  a  posy.  But  as 
for  thanking  him  enough  ! 

"  We  can't  do  it.  mammy,"  said  Polly,  looking 
around  on  all  the  happy  faces,  and  then  up  at  Cherry, 
who  was  singing  in  the  window,  and  who  immediately 
swelled  up  his  little  throat  and  poured  out  such  a 
merry  burst  of  song  that  she  had  to  wait  for  him  to 
finish.  "  No,  not  if  we  tried  a  thousand  years  !  " 


254  Fi™  Little  Peppers  ; 

"  I'm  a-goin',"  said  Joel,  who  was  busy  as  a  bee  with 
his  new  tools  that  the  tree  had  shaken  down  for  him, 
"to  make  Jappy  the  splendidest  box  you  ever  saw, 
Polly  !  I  guess  that'll  thank  him  !" 

''  Do,"  cried  Polly;  "he'd  be  so  pleased,  Joey." 

"  And  I,"  said  Phronsie,  over  in  the  corner  with 
her  children,  "I'm  goin' to  see  my  poor  sick  man 
sometime,  Polly,  I  am  !  " 

"  Oh,  dear ! "  cried  Polly,  whirling  around,  and 
looking  at  her  mother  in  dismay.  "  She'll  be  goin'  to- 
morrow !  Oh,  no,  Phronsie,  you  can't ;  he  lives  miles 
and  miles  away  —  oh,  ever  so  far  !  " 

"  Does  he  live  as  far  as  the  moon  ?  "  asked  little 
Phronsie,  carefully  laying  Seraphina  down,  and  look- 
ing up  at  Polly,  anxiously. 

"  Oh,  I  don't  know,"  said  Polly,  giving  Cherry  a 
piece  of  bread,  and  laughing  to  see  how  cunning  he 
looked.  "Oh,  no,  of  course  not,  but  it's  an  awful 
long  ways,  Phronsie." 

"  I  don't  care,"  said  Phronsie,  determinedly,  giving 
the  new  doll  a  loving  little  pat,  "  I'm  goin'  sometime, 
Polly,  to  thank  my  poor  sick  man,  yes,  I  am  ! " 

"You'll  see  him  next  summer,  Phronsie,"  sang 
Polly  skipping  around  the  kitchen,  "  and  Jappy's  sister 
Marian,  the  lovely  lady,  and  all  the  boys.  Won't  that 
be  nice  ?  "  and  Polly  stopped  to  pat  the  yellow  head 


And  Hnw  They  Grew.  255 

bending    in    motherly   attentions   over   her   array  of 
dolls. 

"  Ye-es,"  said  Phronsie,  slowly  ;  "  the  whole  of  'em, 
Polly  ?  " 

"  Yes,  indeed  !  "  said  Polly,  gayly  :  "  the  whole  of 
'em,  Phronsie !  " 

"  Hooray  !  "  shouted  the  two  boys,  while  Phronsie 
only  gave  a  long  sigh,  and  clasped  her  hands. 

"  Better  not  be  looking  for  summer,"  said  Mrs.  Pep- 
per, "until  you  do  your  duty  by  the  winter  ;  then  you 
can  enjoy  it,"  and  she  took  a  fresh  needleful  of 
thread. 

"  Mamsie's  right,"  said  Ben,  smiling  over  at  her. 
And  he  threw  down  his  book  and  jumped  for  his  cap. 
"  Now  for  a  good  chop  !  "  he  cried,  and  snatching-  a 
kiss  from  Phronsie,  he  rushed  out  of  the  door  to  his 
work,  whistling  as  he  went. 

"  Warn't  Mr.  Henderson  good,  ma,"  asked  Polly, 
watching  his  retreating  figure,  "to  give  Ben  learn- 
ing ?  " 

"Yes,  he  was,"  replied  Mrs.  Pepper,  enthusiasti- 
cally. "  We've  got  a  parson,  if  anybody  has  in  this 
world  !  " 

"And  Ben's  learning,"  said  Polly,  swelling  with 
pride,  as  she  sat  down  by  her  mother,  and  began  to 
sew  rapidly,  "  so  that  he'll  be  a  big  man  right  off  !  Oh, 


256  Five   Little    Peppers; 

dear,"  as  a  thought  made  her  needle  pause  a  minute 
in  its  quick  flying  in  and  out. 

"  What  is  it,  Polly  ?  "  Mrs.  Pepper  looked  keenly 
at  the  troubled  face  and  downcast  eyes. 

"  Why —  "  began  Polly,  and  then  she  finished  very 
slowly,  "I  sha'n't  know  anything,  and  Ben'll  be 
ashamed  of  me." 

"  Yes,  you  will ! ''  cried  Mrs.  Pepper,  energetically, 
"you  keep  on  trying,  and  the  Lord'll  send  some 
way ;  don't  you  go  to  bothering  your  head  about  it 
now,  Polly  —  it'll  come  when  it's  time." 

"  Will  it  ? "  asked  Polly,  doubtfully,  taking  up  her 
needle  again. 

"  Yes,  indeed  ! "  cried  Mrs.  Pepper,  briskly ;  "  come 
fly  at  your  sewing  ;  that's  your  learning  now." 

"  So  'tis,"  said  Polly,  with  a  little  laugh.  "  Now 
let's  see  which'll  get  their  seam  done  first,  mamsie  ? " 

And  now  letters  flew  thick  and  fast  from  the  city  to 
the  little  brown  house,  and  back  again,  warming  Jas- 
per's heart,  and  filling  the  tedious  months  of  that  win- 
ter with  more  of  jollity  and  fun  than  the  lad  ever  en- 
joyed before ;  and  never  was  fun  and  jollity  more 
needed  than  now;  for  Mr.  King,  having  nothing  to 
do,  and  each  year  finding  himself  less  inclined  to  ex- 
ercise any  thoughtful  energy  for  others,  began  to  look 


And  How  They  Grew.  257 

at  life  something  in  the  light  of  a  serious  bore,  and 
accordingly  made  it  decidedly  disagreeable  for  all 
around  him,  and  particularly  for  Jasper  who  was 
his  constant  companion.  But  the  boy  was  looking 
forward  to  summer,  and  so  held  on  bravely. 

"  I  do  verily  believe,  Polly, "  he  wrote,  "  that 
Badgertown'll  see  the  gayest  times  it  ever  knew! 
Sister  Marian  wants  to  go,  so  that's  all  right.  Now, 
hurrah  for  a  good  time  —  it's  surely  coming !  " 

But  alas !  for  Jasper !  as  spring  advanced,  his 
father  took  a  decided  aversion  to  Hingham,  Badger- 
town,  and  all  other  places  ttiat  could  be  mentioned  in 
that  vicinity. 

"  It's  a  wretched  climate,"  he  asserted,  over  and 
over ;  "  and  the  foundation  of  all  my  ill  feelings  this 
winter  was  laid,  I'm  convinced,  in  Hingham  last  sum- 
mer." 

No  use  to  urge  the  contrary  ;  and  all  Jasper's  plead- 
ings were  equally  vain.  At  last,  sister  Marian,  who 
was  kind-hearted  to  a  fault,  sorry  to  see  her  brother's 
dismay  and  disappointment  said,  one  day,  "  Why  not 
have  one  of  the  children  come  here  ?  I  should  like 
it  very  much  —  do  invite  Ben." 

"  I  don't  want  Ben,"  said  Jasper  gloomily,  "I  want 
Polly."  He  added  this  in  much  the  same  tone  as 


^58  Five  Little  Peppers  ; 

Phronsie's  when  she  had  rushed  up  to  him  the  day 
she  was  lost,  declaring,  "  I  want  Polly  !  " 

"Very  well,  then,"  said  sister  Marian,  laughing, 
"I'm  sure  I  didn't  mean  to  dictate  which  one  ;  let  it 
be  Polly  then ;  yes,  I  should  prefer  Polly  myself,  I 
think,  as  we've  enough  boys  now,"  smiling  to  think  of 
her  own  brood  of  wide  awake  youngsters. 

"  If  you  only  will,  father,  I'll  try  to  be  ever  so 
good!  "  said  Jasper,  turning  suddenly  to  his  father. 

"  Jasper  needs  some  change,"  said  sister  Marian 
kindly,  "  he  really  has  grown  very  pale  and  thin." 

"  Hey  ! "  said  Mr.  King,  sharply,  looking  at  him 
over  his  eye-glasses.  "  The  boy's  well  enough  ;  well 
enough  !  "  But  he  twisted  .uneasily  in  his  chair,  all 
the  same.  At  last  he  flang  down  his  paper,  twitched 
his  fingers  through  his  hair  two  or  three  times,  and 
then  burst  out — 

"Well,  why  don't  you  send  for  her?  I'm  sure  I 
don't  care  —  I'll  write  myself,  and  I  had  better  do  it 
now.  Tell  Thomas  to  be  ready  to  take  it  right  down  ; 
it  must  get  into  this  mail." 

When  Mr.  King  had  made  up  his  mind  to  do  any- 
thing, everybody  else  must  immediately  give  up  their 
individual  plans,  and  stand  out  of  the  way  for  him  to 
execute -his  at  just  that  particular  moment !  Accord- 
ingly Thomas  was  dragged  from  his  work  to  post  the 


And  How  They  Grew.  259 

fetter,  while  the  old  gentleman  occupied  the  time  in 
pulling  out  his  watch  every  third  second  until  the 
slightly-out-of -breath  Thomas  reported  on  his  return 
that  the  letter  did  get  in.  Then  Mr.  King  settled 
down  satisfied,  and  everything  went  on  smoothly  a» 
before. 

But  Polly  didn't  come  !  A  grateful,  appreciative 
letter,  expressed  in  Mrs.  Pepper's  own  stiff  way, 
plainly  showed  the  determination  of  that  good  woman 
not  to  accept  what  was  such  a  favor  to  her  child. 

In  vain  Mr.  King  stormed,  and  fretted,  and  begged, 
offering  every  advantage  possible —  Polly  should  have 
the  best  foundation  for  a  musical  education  that  the 
city  could  afford ;  also  lessons  in  the  schoolroom 
under  the  boys'  private  tutor —  it  was  all  of  no  avail. 
In  vain  sister  Marian  sent  a  gentle  appeal,  fully  show- 
ing her  heart  was  in  it ;  nothing  broke  down  Mrs. 
Pepper's  resolve,  until,  at  last,  the  old  gentlema" 
wrote  one  day  that  Jasper,  being  in  such  failing  health, 
really  depended  on  Polly  to  cheer  him  up.  That  re- 
moved the  last  straw  that  made  it  "putting  one's  seK 
under  an  obligation,"  which  to  Mrs.  Pepper's  inde- 
pendent soul,  had  seemed  insurmountable. 

And  now,  it  was  decided  that  Polly  was  really  to 
go  !  and  pretty  soon  all  Badgertown  knew  that  Polly 
Pepper  was  going  to  the  big  city.  And  there  wasn't 


260  Five  Little  Peppers  ; 

a  man,  woman,  or  child  but  what  greatly  rejoiced  that 
a  sunny  time  was  coming  to  one  of  the  chicks  in  the 
little  brown  house.  With  many  warm  words,  and 
some  substantial  gifts,  kind  friends  helped  forward 
the  "outing."  Only  one  person  doubted  that  this 
delightful  chance  should  be  grasped  at  once  —  and 
that  one  was  Polly  herself ! 

"  I  can't,  "  she  said,  and  stood  quite  pale  and  still, 
when  the  Hendersons  advised  her  mother's  approval, 
and  even  Grandma  Bascom  said,  "  Go."  u  I  can't  go 
and  leave  mammy  to  do  all  the  work." 

"  But  don't  you  see,  Polly,"  said  Mrs.  Henderson, 
drawing  her  to  her  side,  "  that  you  will  help  your 
mother  twice  as  much  as  you  possibly  could  here,  by 
getting  a  good  education  ?  Think  what  your  music 
will  be  ;  only  think,  Polly ! " 

Polly  drew  a  long  breath  at  this  and  turned  away. 

"  Oh,  Polly  !  "  cried  Ben,  though  his  voice  choked, 
"  if  you  give  this  up,  there  never'll  be  another 
chance,"  and  the  boy  put  his  arm  around  her,  and 
whispered  something  in  her  ear. 

"  I  know,"  said  Polly  quietly  —  and  then  she  burst 
out,  "  oh,  but  I  can't !  'tisn't  right." 

"  Polly,"  said  Mrs.  Pepper  —  and  never  in  all  their 
lives  had  the  children  seen  such  a  look  in  mamsie's 
eyes  as  met  them  then  ;  "  it  does  seem  as  if  my 


And  How   They  Grew.  261 

heart  would  be  broken  if  you  didn't  go ! "  And  then 
she  burst  out  crying,  right  before  them  all ! 

"  Oh  mammy,"  cried  Polly,  breaking  away  from 
everybody,  and  flinging  herself  into  her  arms.  "  I'll 
go  —  if  you  think  I  ought  to.  But  it's  too  good  ! 
don't  cry  —  don't,  mammy  dear,"  and  Polly  stroked 
the  careworn  face  lovingly,  and  patted  the  smooth 
hair  that  was  still  so  black. 

"  And,  Polly,"  said  Mrs.  Pepper,  smiling  through 
her  tears,  "  just  think  what  a  comfort  you'll  be  tome, 
and  us  all,"  she  added,  taking  in  the  children  who 
were  crowding  around  Polly  as  the  centre  of  attrac- 
tion. "  Why,  you'll  be  the  making  of  us,"  she  added 
hopefully. 

"  I'll  do  something"  said  Polly,  her  brown  eyes 
kindling,  "or  I  shan't  be  worthy  of  you,  mammy." 

"  O,  you'll  do  it,"  said  Mrs.  Pepper,  confidently, 
"  now  that  you're  going." 

But  when  Polly  stepped  into  the  stage,  with  her 
little  hair  trunk  strapped  on  behind,  containing  her 
one  brown  merino  that  Mrs.  Henderson  had  made 
over  for  her  out  of  one  of  her  own,  and  her  two  new 
ginghams,  her  courage  failed  again,  and  she  aston- 
ished everybody,  and  nearly  upset  a  mild-faced  old 
lady  who  was  in  the  corner  placidly  eating  dough- 
nuts, by  springing  out  and  rushing  up  through  the 


262  Five  Little  Peppers  ; 

little  brown  gate,  past  all  the  family,  drawn  up  to  see 
her  off.  She  flew  over  the  old  flat  door-stone,  and 
into  the  bed-room,  where  she  flung  herself  down 
between  the  old  bed  and  Phronsie's  crib,  in  a  sudden 
torrent  of  tears.  "  I  can't  go  !  "  she  sobbed  —  "  oh 
I  can't!" 

"  Why,  Polly  !  "  cried  Mrs.  Pepper,  hurrying  in, 
followed  by  Joel  and  the  rest  of  the  troops  at  his 
heels.  "  What  are  you  thinking  of !  " 

"Think  of  by-and-by,  Polly,"  put  in  Ben,  patting 
her  on  the  back  with  an  unsteady  hand,  while  Joel 
varied  the  proceedings  by  running  back  and  forth, 
screaming  at  the  top  of  his  lungs,  "  The  stage's 
going !  your  trunk'll  be  taken  !  " 

"Dear  me!"  ejaculated  Mrs.  Pepper,  "do  stop  it 
somebody  !  there,  Polly,  come  now  !  Do  as  mother 
says !  " 

"  I'll  try  again,"  said  poor  Polly,  choking  back  her 
sobs,  and  getting  on  her  feet. 

Then  Polly's  tears  were  -wiped  away,  her  hat 
straightened,  after  which  she  was  kissed  all  round 
again  by  the  whole  family,  Phronsie  waiting  for  the 
last  two,  and  then  was  helped  again  into  the  stage, 
the  bags  and  parcels,  and  a  box  for  Jappy,  which,  as 
it  wouldn't  go  into  the  trunk,  Joel  had  insisted  Polly 
should  carry  in  her  hand,  were  again  piled  nround 


And  How  They  Grew.  263 

her,  and  Mr.  Tisbett  mounted  to  his  seat,  and  with  a 
crack  of  the  whip,  bore  her  safely  off  this  time. 

The  doughnut  lady,  viewing  poor  Polly  with  ex- 
treme sympathy,  immediately  forced  upon  her  accep- 
tance three  of  the  largest  and  sugariest. 

"  'Twill  do  you  good,"  she  said,  falling  to,  herself, 
on  another  with  good  zeal.  ''I  always  eat  'em,  and 
then  there  ain't  any  room  for  homesickness  !  " 

And  away,  and  away,  and  away  they  rumbled  and 
jumbled  to  the  cars. 

Here  Mr.  Tisbett  put  Polly  and  her  numerous 
bundles  under  the  care  of  the  conductor,  with  mani- 
fold charges  and  explicit  directions,  to  see  her  safely 
into  Mr.  King's  own  hands.  He  left  her  sitting 
straight  up  among  her  parcels,  her  sturdy  little  figure 
drawn  up  to  its  full  height,  and  the  clear  brown  eyes 
regaining  a  little  of  their  dancing  light ;  for  although 
a  dreadful  feeling  tugged  at  her  heart,  as  she  thought 
of  the  little  brown  house  she  was  fast  flying  away 
from,  there  was  something  else  ;  our  Polly  had  begun 
to  realize  that  now  she  was  going  to  "  help  mother." 

And  now  they  neared  the  big  city,  and  everybody 
began  to  bustle  around,  and  get  ready  to  jump  out, 
and  the  minute  the  train  stopped,  the  crowd  poured 
out  from  the  cars,  making  way  for  the  crowd  pouring 
in,  for  this  was  a  through  train. 


264  Five  Little  Peppers ; 

"  All  aboard! "  sang  the  conductor.  "  Oh  my 
senses  !  "  springing  to  Polly  ;  "  I  forgot  you — here!" 

But  as  quick  as  a  flash  he  was  pushed  aside,  and  a 
bright,  boyish  figure  dashed  up. 

"  Oh,  Polly ! "  he  said  in  such  a  ringing  voice  ! 
and  in  another  second,  Polly  and  her  bag,  and  the 
bundle  of  cakes  and  apples  that  Grandma  Bascom 
had  put  up  for  her,  and  Joel's  box,  were  one  and  all 
bundled  out  upon  the  platform,  and  the  train  whizzed 
on,  and  there  Mr.  King  was  fuming  up  and  down, 
berating  the  departing  conductor,  and  speaking  his 
mind  in  regard  to  all  the  railroad  officials  he  could 
think  of.  He  pulled  himself  up  long  enough  to  give 
Polly  a  hearty  welcome  ;  and  then  away  again  he 
flew  in  righteous  indignation,  while  Jasper  rushed  off 
into  the  baggage  room  with  Polly's  check. 

However,  every  now  and  then,  turning  to  look 
down  into  the  little  rosy  face  beside  him,  the  old 
gentleman  would  burst  forth,  "Bless  me,  child  !  I'm 
glad  you're  here,  Polly  !  —  how  could  the  fellow  for- 
get when  "  — 

"  Oh  well,  you  know,"  said  Polly,  with  a  happy  little 
wriggle  under  her  brown  coat,  "  I'm  here  now." 

"  So  you  are  !  so  you  are  !  "  laughed  the  old  gen- 
tleman suddenly ;  "  where  can  Jasper  be  so  long." 


And  How  They  Grew. 


265 


"  They're  all  in  the  carriage,"  answered  the  boy 
skipping  back.  "  Now,  father  !  now  Polly  !  " 

He  was  fairly  bubbling  over  with  joy  and  Mr.  King 
forgot  his  dudgeon  and  joined  in  the  general  glee, 
which  soon  became  so  great*  that  travellers  gave 


POLLY   IS   REALLY   ON   THE  WAY. 

many  a  glance  at  the   merry  trio  who  bundled   away 
to  Thomas  and  the  waiting  grays. 

"  You're  sure  you've  got  the  right  check  ?  "  asked 
Mr.  King,  nervously,  getting  into  a  handsome  coach 
lined  with  dark  green  satin,  and  settling  down  among 
its  ample  cushions  with  a  sigh  of  relief. 


266  Five  Little  Peppers  ; 

"  Oh  yes,"  laughed  Jasper ;  "  Polly  didn't  have 
any  one  else's  check,  I  guess  !  " 

Over  through  the  heart  of  the  city,  down  narrow, 
noisy  business  streets,  out  into  wide  avenues,  with 
handsome  stately  mansions  on  either  side  —  they 
flew  along. 

"  Oh "  said  Polly ;  and  then  she  stopped,  and 
blushed  very  hard. 

"What  is  it,  my  dear?"  asked    Mr.  King,  kindly. 

Polly  couldn't  speak  at  first,  but  when  Jasper 
stopped  his  merry  chat  and  begged  to  know  what  it 
was,  she  turned  on  him,  and  burst  out,  "  You  live 
here  ? " 

"  Why,  yes,"  laughed  the  boy  ;  "  why  not  ?  " 

"  Oh  /"  said  Polly  again,  her  cheeks  as  red  as  two 
roses,  "  it's  so  lovely  !  " 

And  then  the  carriage  turned  in  at  a  brown  stone 
gateway,  and  winding  up  among  some  fine  old  trees, 
stopped  before  a  large. stately  residence  that  in  Polly's 
eyes  seemed  like  one  of  the  castles  of  Ben's  famous 
stories.  And  then  Mr.  King  got  out,  and  gallantly 
escorted  Polly  out,  and  up  the  steps,  while  Jasper  fol- 
lowed with  Polly's  bag  which  he  couldn't  be  per- 
suaded to  resign  to  Thomas.  A  stiff  waiter  held  the 
door  open  —  and  then,  the  rest  was  only  a  pleasant, 
confused  jumble  of  kind  welcoming  words,  smiling 


And  How  They  Grew.  267 

faces,  with  a  background  of  high  spacious  walls, 
bright  pictures,  and  soft  elegant  hangings,  everything 
and  all  inextricably  mixed  —  till  Polly  herself 
seemed  floating  —  away  —  away,  fast  to  the  Fairyland 
of  her  dreams  ;  now,  Mr.  King  was  handing  her 
around,  like  a  precious  parcel,  from  one  to  the  other 
—  now  Jasper  was  bobbing  in  and  out  everywhere, 
introducing  her  on  all  sides,  and  then  Prince  was 
jumping  up  and  trying  to  lick  her  face  every  min- 
ute —  but  best  of  all  was,  it  when  a  lovely  face  looked 
down  into  hers,  and  Jasper's  sister  bent  to  kiss  her. 

"  I  am  very  glad  to  have  you  here,  little  Polly." 
The  words  were  simple,  but  Polly,  lifting  up  her  clear 
brown  eyes,  looked  straight  into  the  heart  of  the 
speaker,  and  from  that  moment  never  ceased  to  love 
her. 

"  It  was  a  good  inspiration,"  thought  Mrs.  Whitney 
to  herself ;  "  this  little  girl  is  going  to  be  a  comfort,  I 
know."  And  then  she  set  herself  to  conduct  success- 
fully her  three  boys  into  friendliness  and  good  fellow- 
ship with  Polly,  for  each  of  them  was  following  his 
own  sweet  will  in  the  capacity  of  host,  and  besides 
staring  at  her  with  all  his  might,  was  determined  to 
do  the  whole  of  the  entertaining,  a  state  of  things 
which  might  become  unpleasant.  However,  Polly 
stood  it  like  a  veteran. 


268  Five  Little  Peppers  ; 

"This  little  girl  must  be  very  tired,"  said  Mrs. 
Whitney,  at  last  with  a  bright  smile.  "  Besides  I  am 
going  to  have  her  to  myself  now." 

"Oh,  no,  no,"  cried  little  Dick  in  alarm;  "why, 
she's  just  come  ;  we  want  to  see  her." 

"  For  shame,  Dick  !  "  said  Percy,  the  eldest,  a  boy 
of  ten  years,  who  took  every  opportunity  to  reprove 
Dick  in  public;  "she's  come  a  great  ways,  so  she 
ought  to  rest,  you  know." 

"  You  wanted  her  to  come  out  to  the  greenhouse 
yourself,  you  know  you  did,"  put  in  Van,  the  next  to 
Percy,  who  never  would  be  reproved  or  patronized, 
"  only  she  wouldn't  go. 

"  You'll  come  down  to  dinner,"  said  Percy,  politely, 
ignoring  Van.  "  Then  you  won't  be  tired,  perhaps.'' 

"  Oh,  I'm  not  very  tired  now,"  said  Polly,  brightly, 
with  a  merry  little  laugh,  "  only  I've  never  been  in 
the  cars  before,  and  "  — 

'•''Never  been  in  the  cars  before!"  exclaimed  Van, 
crowding  up,  while  Percy  made  a  big  round  O  with 
his  mouth,  and  little  Dick's  eyes  stretched  to  their 
widest  extent. 

"No,"  said  Polly  simply,  "never  in  all  my  life." 

"  Come,  dear,"  said  sister  Marian,  rising  quickly, 
and  taking  Polly's  hand  ;  while  Jasper,  showing  un- 


And  How  They  Grew.  269 

mistakable  symptoms  of  pitching  into  all  the  three 
boys,  followed  with  the  bag. 

Up  the  broad  oak  staircase  they  went,  Polly  hold- 
ing by  Mrs.  Whitney's  soft  hand,  as  if  for  dear  life, 
and  Jasper  tripping  up  two  steps  at  a  time,  in  front  of 
them.  They  turned  after  reaching  the  top,  down  a 
hall  soft  to  the  foot  and  brightly  lighted. 

"Now,  Polly,"  said  sister  Marian,  "I'm  going  to 
have  you  here,  right  next  to  my  dressing  room  ;  this 
is  your  nest,  little  bird,  and  I  hope  you'll  be  very 
happy  in  it." 

And  here  Mrs.  Whitney  turned  up  the  gas,  and 
then,  just  because  she  couldn't  help  it,  gathered  Polly 
up  in  her  arms  without  another  word.  Jasper  set 
down  the  bag  on  a  chair,  and  came  and  stood  by  his 
sister's  side,  looking  down  at  her  as  she  stroked  the 
brown  wavy  hair  on  her  bosom. 

"  It's  so  nice  to  have  Polly  here,  sister,"  he  said, 
and  he  put  his  hand  on  Mrs.  Whitney's  neck ;  and 
then  with  the  other  hand  took  hold  of  both  of  Polly's 
chubby  ones,  who  looked  up  and  smiled  ;  and  in  that 
smile  the  little  brown  house  seemed  to  hop  right  out, 
and  bring  back  in  a  flash  all  the  nice  times  those 
eight  happy  weeks  had  brought  him. 

"  Oh,  'twas  so  perfectly  splendid,  sister  Marian,"  he 
cried,  flinging  himself  down  on  the  floor  by  her  chair. 


27°  Five  Little  Peppers  ; 

"  You  don't  know  what  good  times  we  had  —  does 
she,  Polly  ?  "  and  then  he  launched  out  into  a  perfect 
shower  of  "Don't  you  remember  this?''  or  "Oh, 
Polly !  you  surely  haven't  forgotten  that ! "  Mrs. 
Whitney  good  naturedly  entering  into  it  and  enjoying 
it  all  with  them,  until,  warned  by  the  lateness  of  the 
hour,  she  laughingly  reminded  Jasper  of  dinner,  and 
dismissed  him  to  prepare  for  it. 

When  the  three  boys  saw  Polly  coming  in  again, 
they  welcomed  her  with  a  cordial  shout,  for  one  and 
all,  after  careful  measurement  of  her,  had  succumbed 
entirely  to  Polly  ;  and  each  was  unwilling  that  the 
others  should  get  ahead  of  him  in  her  regard. 

"  This  is  your  seat,  Polly,"  said  sister  Marian, 
touching  the  chair  next  to  her  own. 

Thereupon  a  small  fight  ensued  between  the  little 
Whitneys,  while  Jasper  looked  decidedly  discom- 
fited. 

"  Let  Polly  sit  next  to  me,"  said  Van,  as  if  a  seat 
next  to  him  was  of  all  things  most  to  be  desired. 

"  Oh,  no,  I  want  her,"  said  little  Dick. 

"  Pshaw,  Dick  !  you're  too  young,"  put  in  Percy. 
"  You'  d  spill  the  bread  and  butter  all  over  her." 

"  I  wouldn't  either,"  said  little  Dick,  indignantly, 
and  beginning  to  crawl  into  his  seat ;  "  I  don't  spill 
bread  and  butter,  now  Percy,  you  know." 


And  How  They  Grew.  273 

"  See  here,"  said  Jasper,  decidedly,  "  she's  coming 
up  here  by  father  and  me  ;  that  is,  sister  Marian,"  he 
finished  more  politely,  "  if  you're  willing." 

All  this  while  Polly  had  stood  quietly  watching  the 
group,  the  big,  handsome  table,  the  bright  lights,  and 
the  well-trained  servants  with  a  curious  feeling  at  her 
heart — what  were  the  little-brown-house-people  doing  ? 

"  Polly  shall  decide  it,"  said  sister  Marian,  laugh- 
ing. "  Now,  where  will  you  sit,  dear  ?  "  she  added, 
looking  down  on  the  little  quiet  figure  beside  her. 

"  Oh,  by  Jappy,  please,"  said  Polly,  quickly,  as  if 
there  could 'be  no  doubt ;  "  and  kind  Mr.  King,"  she 
added,  smiling  at  him. 

"That's  right;  that's  right,  my  dear,"  cried  the  old 
gentleman,  pleased  beyond  measure  at  her  honest 
choice.  And  he  pulled  out  her  chair,  and  waited 
upon  her  into  it  so  handsomely  that  Polly  was  happy 
at  once ;  while  Jasper,  with  a  proud  toss  of  his  dark, 
wavy  hair,  marched  up  delightedly,  and  took  the  chair 
on  her  other  side.  •  . 

And  now,  in  two  or  three  minutes  it  seemed  as  if 
Polly  had  always  been  there  ;  it  was  the  most  natural 
thing  in  the  world  that  sister  Marian  should  smile 
down  the  table  at  the  bright-faced  narrator,  who  an- 
swered all  their  numerous  questions,  and  entertained 
them  all  with  accounts  of  Ben's  skill,  of  Phronsie's 


274  Five  Little  Peppers; 

cunning  ways,  of  the  boys  who  made  fun  for  all,  and 
above  everything  else  of  the  dear  mother  whom  they 
all  longed  to  help,  and  of  all  the  sayings  and  doings 
in  the  little  brown  house.  No  wonder  that  the  little 
boys  forgot  to  eat ;  and  for  once  never  thought  of  the 
attractions  of  the  table.  And  when,  as  they  left  the 
table  at  last,  little  Dick  rushed  impulsively  up  to 
Polly,  and  flinging  himself  into  her  arms,  declared — 

"  I  love  you  !  —  and  you're  my  sister !  "  Nothing 
more  was  needed  to  make  Polly  feel  at  home. 

"Yes,"  said  Mrs.  Whitney,  and  nodded  to  herself 
in  the  saying,  "  it  was  a  good  thing;  and  a  comfort, 
I  believe,  has  come  to  this  house  this  day  ! " 


And  How  They   Grew.  275 


CHAPTER   XIX. 

BRAVE  WORK,  AND  THE  REWARD. 

AND  on  the  very  first  morrow  came  Polly's  music 
teacher ! 

The  big  drawing-room,  with  its  shaded  light  and 
draped  furniture,  with  its  thick  soft  carpet,  on  which 
no  foot-fall  could  be  heard,  with  all  its  beauty  and 
loveliness  on  every  side  was  nothing  to  Polly's  eyes, 
only  the  room  that  contained  the  piano  ! 

That  was  all  she  saw  !  And  when  the  teacher  came 
he  was  simply  the  Fairy-  (an  ugly  little  one,  it  is  true, 
but  still  a  most  powerful  being)  who  was  to  unlock  its 
mysteries,  and  conduct  her  into  Fairyland  itself.  He 
was  a  homely  little  Frenchman,  with  a  long,  curved 
nose,  and  an  enormous  black  moustache,  magnifi- 
cently waxed,  who  bowed  elaborately,  and  called  her 
"  Mademoiselle  Pep-paire  ; "  but  he  had  music  in  his 
soul,  and  Polly  couldn't  reverence  him  too  much. 


276  Five  Little  Peppers  ; 

And  now  the  big  piano  gave  out  new  sounds ; 
sounds  that  told  of  a  strong  purpose  and  steady  pa- 
tience. Every  note  was  struck  for  mother  and  the 
home  brood.  Monsieur  Tourtelotte,  after  watching  her 
keenly  out  of  his  little  black  eyes,  would  nod  to  him- 
self like  a  mandarin,  and  the  nod  would  be  followed 
by  showers  of  extra  politeness,  as  his  appreciation  of 
her  patient  energy  and  attention. 

Every  chance  she  could  get,  Polly  would  steal  away 
into  the  drawing-room  from  Jappy  and  the  three  boys 
and  all  the  attractions  they  could  offer,  and  labori- 
ously work  away  over  and  over  at  the  tedious  scales 
and  exercises  that  were  to  be  stepping-stones  to  so 
much  that  was  glorious  beyond.  Never  had  she  sat 
still  for  so  long  a  time  in  her  active  little  life ;  and 
now,  with  her  arms  at  just  such  an  angle,  with  the 
stiff,  chubby  fingers  kept  under  training  and  restraint 
—  well,  Polly  realized,  years  after,  that  only  her  love 
of  the  little  brown  house  could  ever  have  kept  her 
from  flying  up  and  spinning  around  in  perfect  des- 
pair. 

"  She  likes  it ! "  said  Percy,  in  absolute  astonish- 
ment, one  day,  when  Polly  had  refused  to  go  out  driv- 
ing with  all  the  other  children  in  the  park,  and  had 
gone  resolutely,  instead,  into  the  drawing-room  and 


And  How  They  Grew. 


277 


shut  the  door.    "  She  likes  those  hateful  old  exercises 
and  she  don't  like  anything  else." 

"  Much  you   know  about   it,"   said  Jappy ;  "  she's 
perfectly  aching  to  go,  now  Percy  Whitney  !  " 


. 


THE   INDEFATIGABLE    POLLY. 


"  Well,  why  don't  she  then  ?  "  said  Percy,  opening 
his  eyes  to  their  widest  extent. 

"  'Cause,"  said  Jasper,  stopping  on  his  way  to  the 
door  to  look  him  full  in  the  face,  "  she's  commenced 


278  Five  Little.  Peppers  ; 

to  learn  to  play,  and  there  won't  anything  stop  her." 

"  I'm  going  to  try,"  said  Percy,  gleefully.  "  I  know 
lots  of  ways  I  can  do  to  try,  anyway." 

"  See  here,  now,"  said  Jasper,  turning  back,  u  you 
let  her  alone  !  Do  you  hear  ?  "  he  added,  and  there 
must  have  been  something  in  his  eye  to  command  at- 
tention, for  Percy  instantly  signified  his  intention  not 
to  tease  this  young  music  student  in  the  least. 

"  Come  on  then,  old  fellow,"  and  Jasper  swung  his 
cap  on  his  head,  "  Thomas  will  be  like  forty  bears  if 
we  keep  him  waiting  much  longer." 

And  Polly  kept  at  it  steadily  day  after  day  ;  getting 
through  with  the  lessons  in  the  school-room  as  quickly 
as  possible  to  rush  to  her  music,  until  presently  the 
little  Frenchman  waxed  enthusiastic  to  that  degree 
that,  as  day  after  day  progressed  and  swelled  into 
weeks,  and  each  lesson  came  to  an  end,  he  would 
skip  away  on  the  tips  of  his  toes,  his  nose  in  the  air, 
and  the  waxed  ends  of  his  moustache,  fairly  trembling 
with  delight — 

"  Ah,  such  patience  as  Mademoiselle  Pep-paire  has  ! 
I  know  no  other  such,  little  Americane  !  " 

"  I  think,"  said  Jasper  one  evening  after  dinner, 
when  all  the  children  were  assembled  as  usual  in  their 
favorite  place  on  the  big  rug  in  front  of  the  fire  in 
the  library,  Prince  in  the  middle  of  the  group,  his 


And  How  They  Grew.  279 

head  on  his  paws,  watching  everything  in  infinite  sat- 
isfaction, "  that  Polly's  getting  on  in  music  as  I  never 
saw  anyone  do  ;  and  that's  a  fact !  " 

"/mean  to  begin,"  said  Van,  ambitiously,  sitting 
up  straight  and  staring  at  the  glowing  coals.  "  I  guess 
I  will  to-morrow,"  which  announcement  was  received 
with  a  perfect  shout  —  Van's  taste  being  anything 
rather  than  of  a  musical  nature. 

"  If  you  do,"  said  Jappy,  when  the  merriment  had 
a  little  subsided,  "  I  shall  go  out  of  the  house  at  every 
lesson  ;  there  won't  anyone  stay  in  it,  Van." 

"I  can  bang  all  I  want  to,  then,"  said  Van, noways 
disturbed  by  the  reflection,  and  pulling  one  of  Prince's 
long  ears,  "  you  think  you're  so  big,  Jappy,  just  be- 
cause you're  thirteen. 

"  He's  only  three  ahead  of  me,  Van,"  bristled 
Percy,  who  never  could  forgive  Jappy  for  being  his 
uncle,  much  less  the  still  greater  sin  of  having  been 
born  three  years  earlier  than  himself. 

"  Three's  just  as  bad  as  four,"  said  Van. 

"  Let's  tell  stories,"  began  Polly,  who  never  could 
remember  such  goings  on  in  the  little  brown  house  ; 
u  we  must  each  tell  one,"  she  added  with  the  greatest 
enthusiasm,  "  and  see  which  will  be  the  biggest  and 
the  best." 

"  Oh,    no,"    said  Van,  who  perfectly   revelled    in 


2&o  Five  Little  Peppers  ; 

Polly's  stories,  and  who  now  forgot  his  trials  in  the 
prospect  of  one,  "you  tell,  Polly  —  you  tell  alone." 

"  Yes,  do,  Polly,"  said  Jasper  ;    "  we'd  rather." 

So  Polly  launched  out  into  one  of  her  gayest  and 
finest ;  and  soon  they  were  in  such  a  peal  of  laugh- 
ter, and  had  reached  such  heights  of  enjoyment,  that 
Mr.  King  popped  his  head  in  at  the  door,  and  then 
came  in,  and  took  a  seat  in  a  big  rocking-chair  in  the 
corner  to  hear  the  fun  go  on. 

"Oh,  dear,"  said  Van,  leaning  back  with  a  long 
sigh,  and  wiping  his  flushed  face  as  Polly  wound  up 
with  a  triumphant  flourish,  "  how  ever  do  you  think 
of  such  things,  Polly  Pepper?  " 

"That  isn't  anything,"  said  Jappy,  bringing  his 
handsome  face  out  into  the  strong  light ;  "  why,  it's 
just  nothing  to  what  she  has  told  time  and  again  in 
the  little  brown  house  in  Badgertown  ; "  and  then  he 
caught  sight  of  Polly's  face,  which  turned  a  little 
pale  in  the  firelight  as  he  spoke  ;  and  the  brown  eyes 
had  such  a  pathetic  droop  in  them  that  it  went  to  the 
boy's  very  heart. 

Was  Polly  homesick  ?  and  so  soon  ! 


And  How  They  Grew.  281 


CHAPTER  XX. 

POLLY    IS   COMFORTED. 

YES,  it  must  be  confessed.  Polly  was  homesick. 
All  her  imaginations  of  her  mother's  hard 
work,  increased  by  her  absence,  loomed  up  before 
her,  till  she  was  almost  ready  to  fly  home  without  a 
minute's  warning.  At  night,  when  no  one  knew  it, 
the  tears  would  come  racing  over  the  poor,  forlorn 
little  face,  and  would  not  be  squeezed  back.  It  got  to 
be  noticed  finally ;  and  one  and  all  redoubled  their 
exertions  to  make  everything  twice  as  pleasant  as  ever  ! 

The  only  place,  except  in  front  of  the  grand  piano, 
where  Polly  approached  a  state  of  comparative  hap- 
piness, was  in  the  greenhouse. 

Here  she  would  stay,  comforted  and  soothed 
among  the  lovely  plants  and  rich  exotics,  rejoicing 
the  heart  of  Old  Turner  the  gardener,  who  since 


282  Five  Little  Peppers  ; 

Polly's  first  rapturous  entrance,  had  taken  her  into 
his  good  graces  for  all  time. 

Every  chance  she  could  steal  after  practice  hours 
were  over,  and  after  the  clamorous  demands  of  the 
boys  upon  her  time  were  fully  satisfied,  was  seized 
to  fly  on  the  wings  of  the  wind,  to  the  flowers. 

But  even  with  the  music  and  flowers  the  dancing 
light  in  the  eyes  went  down  a  little ;  and  Polly,  grow- 
ing more  silent  and  pale,  moved  around  with  a  little 
droop  to  the  small  figure  that  had  only  been  wont  to 
fly  through  the  wide  halls  and  spacious  rooms  with 
gay  and  springing  step. 

"  Polly  don't  like  us,"  at  last  said  Van  one  clay  in 
despair. 

"Then,  dear,"  said  Mrs.  Whitney,  "you  must  be 
kinder  to  her  than  ever  ;  think  what  it  would  be  for 
one  of  you  to  be  away  from  home  even  among 
friends." 

"  I'd  like  it  first  rate  to  be  away  from  Percy,"  said 
Van,  reflectively ;  "  I  wouldn't  come  back  in  three, 
no,  six  weeks." 

"  My  son,"  said  his  mamma,  "just  stop  and  think 
how  badly  you  would  feel,  if  you  really  couldn't  see 
Percy." 

"  Well,"  said  Van,  and  he  showed  signs  of  relent- 
ing a  little  at  that ;  "  but  Percy  is  perfectly  awful, 


And  How  They  Grew.  283 

mamma,  you  don't  know;  and  he  feels  so  smart  too," 
he  added  vindictively. 

"Well,"  said  Mrs.  Whitney,  softly,  "let's  think 
what  we  can  do  for  Polly ;  it  makes  me  feel  very 
badly  to  see  her  sad  little  face." 

u  I  don't  know,"  said  Van,  running  over  in  his 
mind  all  the  possible  ways  he  could  think  of  for  en- 
tertaining anybody,  "  unless  she'd  like  my  new  book 
of  travels  —  or  my  velocipede,"  he  added. 

"  I'm  afraid  those  wouldn't  quite  answer  the  pur- 
pose," said  his  mamma,  smiling  —  "especially  the 
last ;  yet  we  must  think  of  something." 

But  just  here  Mr.  King  thought  it  about  time  to 
take  matters  into  his  hands.  So,  with  a  great  many 
chucklings  and  shruggings  when  no  one  was  by,  he 
had  departed  after  breakfast  one  day,  simply  saying 
he  shouldn't  be  back  to  lunch. 

Polly  sat  in  the  drawing-room,  near  the  edge  of  the 
twilight,  practicing  away  bravely.  Somenow,  of  all 
the  days  when  the  home  feeling  was  the  strongest, 
this  day  it  seemed  as  if  she  could  bear  it  no  longer. 
If  she  could  only  see  Phronsie  for  just  one  moment ! 
"  I  shall  have  to  give  up  !  "  she  moaned.  "  I  can't 
bear  it !  "  and  over  went  her  head  on  the  music 
rack. 

"  Where  is  she  ? "  said  a  voice  over  in  front  of  the 


284  Five  Little  Peppers  ; 

piano,  in  the  gathering  dusk —  unmistakably  Mr. 
King's. 

"Oh,  she's  always  at  the  piano,"  said  Van's. 
"  She  must  be  there  now,  somewhere,"  and  then 
somebody  laughed.  Then  came  in  the  loudest  of 
whispers  from  little  Dick,  "Oh,  Jappy,  what'll  she 
say  ? " 

"Hush!"  said  one  of  the  other  boys;  "do  be 
still,  Dick ! " 

Polly  sat  up  very  straight,  and  whisked  off  the 
tears  quickly.  Up  came  Mr.  King  with  an  enormous 
bundle  in  his  arms ;  and  he  marched  up  to  the  piano, 
puffing  with  his  exertions. 

"  Here,  Polly,  hold  your  arms,"  he  had  only  strength 
to  gasp.  And  then  he  broke  out  into  a  loud  burst  of 
merriment,  in  which  all  the  troop  joined,  until  the 
big  room  echoed  with  the  sound. 

At  this,  the  bundle  opened  suddenly,  and  —  out 
popped  Phronsie  ! 

"  Here  I  am  !     I'm  here,  Polly  !  " 

But  Polly  couldn't  speak  ;  and  if  Jasper  hadn't 
caught  her  just  in  time,  she  would  have  tumbled  over 
backward  from  the  stool,  Phronsie  and  all ! 

"  Arn't  you  glad  I've  come,  Polly  ?  "  asked  Phron- 
sie, with  her  little  face  close  to  Polly's  own. 

That   brought   Polly    to.      "Oh,   Phronsie!"    she 


And  How  They  Grew.  287 

cried,  and  strained  her  to  her  heart ;  while  the  boys 
crowded  around,  and  plied  her  with  sudden  ques- 
tions. 

"  Now  you'll  stay,"  cried  Van  ;  "  say,  Polly,  won't 
you." 

"  Weren't  you  awfully  surprised  ?  "  cried  Percy  ; 
"  say,  Polly,  awfully  ?  " 

"  Is  her  name  Phronsie,"  put  in  Dick,  unwilling  to 
be  left  out,  and  not  thinking  of  anything  else  to 
ask. 

"  Boys,"  whispered  their  mother,  warningly,  "  she 
can't  answer  you  ;  just  look  at  her  face." 

And  to  be  sure,  our  Polly's  face  was  a  study  to  be- 
hold. All  its  old  sunniness  was  as  nothing  to  the 
joy  that  now  transfigured  it. 

"  Oh  /"  she  cried,  coming  out  of  her  rapture  a  lit- 
tle, and  springing  over  to  Mr.  King  with  Phronsie 
still  in  her  arms.  "  Oh,  you  are  the  dearest  and  best 
Mr.  King  I  ever  saw  !  but  how  did  you  make  mammy 
let  hat-  come  ?  " 

"  Isn't  he  splendid !  "  cried  Jasper  in  intense 
pride,  swelling  up.  "  Father  knew  how  to  do  it." 

But  Polly's  arms  were  around  the  old  gentleman's 
neck,  so  she  didn't  hear.  "There,  there,"  he  said 
soothingly,  patting  her  brown,  fuzzy  head.  Some- 
thing was  going  down  the  old  gentleman's  neck,  that 


288  Five  Little.  Peppers  ; 

wet  his  collar,  and  made  him  whisper  very  tenderly 
in  her  ear,  "don't  give  way  now,  Polly;  Phronsie  '11 
see  you." 

"I  know."  gasped  Polly,  controlling  her  sobs; 
"  I  won't  —  only  —  I  can't  thank  you  !  " 

"  Phronsie,"  said  Jasper  quickly,  "  what  do  you 
suppose  Prince  said  the  other  day  ?  " 

"  What  ?  "  asked  Phronsie  in  intense  interest  slip- 
ping down  out  of  Polly's  arms,  and  crowding  up 
close  to  Jasper's  side.  "  What  did  he,  Japser  ?  " 

"Oh-ho,  how  funny!"  laughed  Van,  while  little 
Dick  burst  right  out,  "  Japser  !  " 

"  Be  still,"  said  Jappy  warningly,  while  Phronsie 
stood  surveying  them  all  with  grave  eyes. 

".Well,  I  asked  him,  'Don't  you  want  to  see 
Phronsie  Pepper,  Prince  ? '  And  do  you  know,  he 
just  stood  right  upon  his  hind  legs,  Phronsie,  and 
said:  'Bark!  yes,  Bark!  Bark  /'" 

"  Did  he  really,  Japser  ?  "  cried  Phronsie,  delighted 
beyond  measure  ;  and  clasping  her  hands  in  rapture, 
"all  alone  by  himself  ?  " 

"Yes,  all  alone  by  himself,"  asserted  Jasper,  vehe- 
mently, and  winking  furiously  to  the  others  to  stop 
their  laughing ;  "  he  did  now,  truly,  Phronsie." 

"Then  mustn't  I  go  and  see  him  now,  Japser? 
yes,  pretty  soon  now  ?  " 


And  How  They  Grew.  289 

"  So  you  must,"  cried  Jasper,  enchanted  at  his  suc- 
cess in  amusing  ;  "  and  I'll  go  with  you." 

"  Oh,  no,"  cried  Phronsie,  shaking  her  yellow  head 
"  Oh  no,  Japser ;  I  must  go  by  my  very  own  self." 

"There  Jap,  you've  caught  it,"  laughed  Percy; 
while  the  others  screamed  at  the  sight  of  Jasper's 
face. 

"  Oh  Phronsie  !  "  cried  Polly,  turning  around  at 
the  last  words  ;  "  how  could  you  !  " 

"  Don't  mind  it,  Polly,"  whispered  Jasper ; 
'*  'twasn't  her  fault." 

"  Phronsie,"  said  Mrs.  Whitney,  smilingly,  stoop- 
ing over  the  child,  "  would  you  like  to  see  a  little 
pussy  I  have  for  you  ?  " 

But  the  chubby  face  didn't  look  up  brightly,  as 
usual  :  and  the  next  moment,  without  a  bit  of  warn- 
ing, Phronsie  sprang  past  them  all,  even  Polly, 
and  flung  herself  into  Mr.  King's  arms,  in  a  perfect 
torrent  of  sobs.  "Oh  !  let's  go  back!"  was  all  they 
heard  ! 

"Dear  me  I"  ejaculated  the  old  gentleman,  in  the 
utmost  amazement ;  "  and  such  a  time  as  I've  had  to 
get  her  here  too  !  "  he  added,  staring  around  on  the 
astonished  group,  none  of  whom  had  a  word  to  say. 

But  Polly  stood  like  a  statue  !  All  Jasper's  frantic 
efforts  at  comfort,  utterly  failed.  To  think  that 


zgo  Five  Little  Peppers  ; 

• 

Phronsie  had  left  her  for  any  one  ! — even  good  Mr. 
King !  The  room  seemed  to  buzz,  and  everything  to 
turn  upside  down  —  and  just  then,  she  heard  another 
cry  —  "Oh,  I  want  Polly,  I  do!" 

With  a  bound,  Polly  was  at  Mr.  King's  side,  with 
her  face  on  his  coat,  close  to  the  little  tear-stained 
one.  The  fat,  little  arms  unclasped  their  hold,  and 
transferred  themselves  willingly  to  Polly's  neck ;  and 
Phronsie  hugged  up  comfortingly  to  Polly's  heart, 
who  poured  into  her  ear  all  the  loving  words  she  had 
so  longed  to  say. 

Just  then  there  was  a  great  rush  and  a  scuffling 
noise ;  and  something  rushed  up  to  Phronsie 
"Oh!"  And  then  the  next  minute,  she  had  her 
arms  around  Prince's  neck,  too,  who  was  jumping  all 
over  her  and  trying  as  hard  as  he  could,  to  express 
his  overwhelming  delight. 

"  She's  the  cunningest  little  thing  I  ever  saw," 
said  Mrs.  Whitney,  enthusiastically,  afterward,  aside 
to  Mr.  King.  "  Such  lovely  yellow  hair,  and  such 
exquisite  brown  eyes  —  the  combination  is  very 
striking.  How  did  her  mother  ever  let  her  go  ? " 
she  asked  impulsively,  "  I  didn't  believe  you  could 
persuade  her,  father." 

"  I  didn't  have  any  fears,  if  f  worked  it  rightly," 
said  the  old  gentleman  complacently.  "  I  wasn't 


And  How  They  Grew.  29  r 

coming  without  her,  Marian,  if  it  could  possibly  be 
managed.  The  truth  is,  that  Phronsie  had  been  pin- 
ing for  Polly  to  such  an  extent,  that  there  was  no 
other  way  but  for  her  to  have  Polly  ;  and  her  mother 
was  just  on  the  point,  although  it  almost  killed  her, 
of  sending  for  Polly —  as  if  we  should  have  let  her 
go  ! "  he  cried  in  high  dudgeon  ;  just  as  if  he  owned 
the  whole  of  the  Peppers,  and  could  dispose  of  them 
all  to  suit  his  fancy !  "  So  you  see,  I  was  just  in 
time  ;  in  the  very  nick  of  time,  in  fact !  " 

"  So  her  mother  was  willing?"  asked  his  daugh- 
ter, curiously. 

u  Oh,  she  couldn't  help  it,"  cried  Mr.  King,  begin- 
ning to  walk  up  and  down  the  floor,  and  beaming  as 
he  recalled  his  successful  strategy  ;  "  there  wasn't 
the  smallest  use  in  thinking  of  anything  else.  I  told 
her  'twould  just  stop  Polly  from  ever  being  a  musi- 
cian if  she  broke  off  now  —  and  so  'twould,  you 
know  yourself,  Marian,  for  we  should  never  get  the 
child  here  again,  if  we  let  her  go  now  ;  and  I  talked 
—  well,  I  had  to  talk  some  ;  but,  well  —  the  upshot  is 
I  did  get  her,  and  I  did  bring  her  —  and  here  she 
is  !  "  And  the  old  gentleman  was  so  delighted  with 
his  success,  that  he  had  to  burst  out  into  a  series  of 
short,  happy  bits  of  laughter,  that  occupied  quite  a 


292  Five   Little    Peppers; 

space  of  time.  At  last  he  came  out  of  them,  and 
wiped  his  face  vigorously. 

"  And  to  think  how  fond  the  little  girl  is  of  you, 
father  !  "  said  Mrs.  Whitney,  who  hadn't  yet  gotten 
over  her  extreme  surprise  at  the  old  gentleman's 
complete  subjection  to  the  little  Peppers  :  he,  whom 
all  children  had  by  instinct  always  approached  so 
carefully,  and  whom  every  one  found  it  necessary  to 
conciliate  ! 

"  Well,  she's  a  nice  child,"  he  said,  "  a  very  nice 
child  ;  and,"  straightening  himself  up  to  his  fullest 
height,  and  looking  so  very  handsome,  that  his 
daughter  could  not  conceal  her  admiration,  "  I  shall 
'.Iways  take  care  of  Phronsie  Pepper,  Marian  !  " 

"  So  I  hope,"  said  Mrs.  Whitney;  "and  father,  I 
do  believe  they'll  repay  you  ;  for  I  do  think  there's 
good  blood  there  ;  these  children  have  a  look  about 
them  that  shows  them  worthy  to  be  trusted." 

"  So  they  have  :  so  they  have,"  assented  Mr.  King, 
and  then  the  conversation  dropped. 


And  How  They   Grew. 


293 


CHAPTER     XXI. 

PHRONSIE. 

PHRONSIE  was  toiling  up  and  down 
the  long,  oak  stair-case  the  next- 
morning  ;  slowly  going  from  one 
step  to  the  other,  drawing  each 
little  fat  foot  into  place  labori- 
ously, but  with  a  pleased  expres- 
sion on  her  face  that  only  gave 
some  small  idea  of  the  rapture 
within.  Up  and  down  she  had 
been  going  for  a  long  time,  per- 
fectly fascinated ;  seeming  to 
care  f  jr  nothing  else  in  the  world  but  to  work  her  way 
up  to  the  top  of  the  long  flight,  only  to  turn  and  come 
down  again.  She  had  been  going  on  so  for  some 
time,  till  at  last,  Polly,  who  was  afraid  she  would  tire 
herself  all  out,  sat  down  at  the  foot  and  begged  and 


^94  Five  Little  Peppers  ; 

implored"  the  little  girl,  who  had  nearly  reached  the 
top,  to  stop  and  rest. 

"You'll  be  tired  to  death,  Phronsie  !  "  she  said, 
looking  up  at  the  small  figure  on  its  toilsome  journey 
"Why  you  must  have  gone  up  a  million  times  !  Do  sit 
down,  pet;  we're  all  going  out  riding,  Phronsie,  this 
afternoon  ;  and  you  can't  go  if  you're  all  tired  out." 

"  I  won't  be  tired,  Polly,"  said  Phronsie,  turning 
around  and  looking  at  her,  "do  let  me  go  just  once 
more  !  " 

"  Well,"  said  Polly,  who  never  could  refuse  her  any- 
thing, "just  once,  Phronsie,  and  then  you  must  stop." 

So  Phronsie  kept  on  her  way  rejoicing,  while 
Polly  still  sat  on  the  lowest  stair,  and  drummed  im- 
patiently on  the  stair  above  her,  waiting  for  her  to  get 
through. 

Jappy  came  through  the  hall  and  found  them  thus. 

"  Halloa,  Polly  !  "  he  said,  stopping  suddenly  ; 
"what's  the  matter  ? " 

"  Oh,  Phronsie's  been  going  so,"  said  Polly,  look- 
ing up  at  the  little  figure  above  them,  which  had 
nearly  reached  the  top  in  delight,  "that  I  can't  stop 
her.  She  has  really,  Jappy,  almost  all  the  morning  ; 
you  can't  think  how  crazy  she  is  over  it." 

"Is  that   so?"   said    Jasper,  with    a  little  laugh. 


And  How  They  Grew.  295 

"  Hulloa,  Phronsie,  is  it  nice?  "  and  he  tossed  a  kiss 
to  the  little  girl,  and  then  sat  down  by  Polly. 

"Oh," said  Phronsie,  turning  to  come  down,  ''it's 
the  be-yew-tiflest  place  I  ever  saw,  Japser!  the  very 
be-yew-tiflest!  " 

"  I  wish  she  could  have  her  picture  painted,"  whis- 
pered Jasper,  enthusiastically.  "  Look  at  her  now, 
Polly,  quick  !  " 

"  Yes,"  said  Polly,  "isn't  she  sweet !  " 

"  Sweet!"  said  Jasper,  "  I  should  think  she  was/" 
The  sunlight  through  an  oriel  window  fell  on  the 
childish  face  and  figure,  glinting  the  yellow  hair,  and 
lighting  up  the  radiant  face,  that  yet  had  a  tender, 
loving  glance  for  the  two  who  waited  for  her  below. 
One  little  foot  was  poised,  just  in  the  act  of  stepping 
down  to  the  next  lower  stair,  and  the  fat  hand  grasped 
the  polished  railing,  expressive  of  just  enough  caution 
to  make  it  truly  childish.  In  after  years  Jasper  never 
thought  of  Phronsie  without  bringing  up  this  picture 
on  that  April  morning,  when  Polly  and  he  sat  at  the 
foot  of  the  stairs,  and  looked  up  and  saw  it. 

"  Where's  Jap  ?  "  called  one  of  the  boys  ;  and  then 
there  was  a  clatter  out  into  the  hall. 

"  What  are  you  doing?"  and  Van  came  to  a  full 
stop  of  amazement  and  stared  at  them. 


296  Five   Little  Peppers; 

"  Resting,"  said  Jappy,  concisely,  "  what  do  you 
want,  Van  ?  " 

"I  want  you/'  said  Van,  "we  can't  do  anything 
without  you,  Jappy;  you  know  that." 

"  Very  well,"  said  Jasper,  getting  up.  "  Come  on, 
Polly,  we  must  go." 

"  And  Phronsie,"  said  Van,  anxiously,  looking  up 
to  Phronsie,  who  had  nearly  reached  them  by  this 
time,  ''  we  want  her,  too." 

"  Of  course,"  said  Polly,  running  up  and  meeting 
her  to  give  her  a  hug  ;  "  /don't  go  unless  she  does." 

"  Where  are  we  going,  Polly  ?  "  asked  Phronsie, 
looking  back  longingly  to  her  beloved  stairs  as  she 
was  borne  off. 

"  To  the  greenhouse,  chick  !  "  said  Jasper,  "  to  help 
Turner;  and  it'll  be  good  fun,  won't  it,  Polly  ?  " 

"What  is  a  greenhouse  ?"  asked  the  child,  wonder- 
ingly.  "  All  green,  Japser?" 

"Oh,  dear  me,"  said  Van,  doubling  up,  "do  you 
suppose  she  thinks  it's  painted  green  ?  " 

"  It's  green  inside,  Phronsie,  dear,"  said  Jasper, 
kindly,  "  and  that's  the  best  of  all." 

When  Phronsie  was  really  let  loose  in  the  green- 
house she  thought  it  decidedly  best  of  all ;  and  she 
went  into  nearly  as  much  of  a  rapture  as  Polly  did 
on  her  first  visit  to  it. 


And  How  They  Grew.  297 

In  a  few  moments  she  was  cooing  and  jumping 
among  the  plants,  while  old  Turner,  staid  and  partic- 
ular as  he  was,  laughed  to  see  her  go. 

"  She's  your  sister,  Miss  Mary,  ain't  she  ?  "  at  last 
he  asked,  as  Phronsie  bent  lovingly  over  a  little  pot 
of  heath,  and  just  touched  one  little  leaf  carefully 
with  her  finger. 

"  Yes,"  said  Polly,  "  but  she  don't  look  like  me." 

"  She  if  like  you,"  said  Turner,  respectfully,  "  if 
she  don't  look  like  you ;  and  the  flowers  know  it, 
too,"  he  added,  "  and  they'll  love  to  see  her  coming, 
just  as  they  do  you." 

For  Polly  had  won  the  old  gardener's  heart  com- 
pletely by  her  passionate  love  for  flowers,  and  nearly 
every  morning  a  little  nosegay,  fresh  and  beautiful, 
came  up  to  the  house  for  "  Miss  Mary." 

And  now  nobody  liked  to  think  of  the  time,  or  to 
look  back  to  it,  when  Phronsie  hadn't  been  in  the 
house.  When  the  little  feet  went  pattering  through 
halls  and  over  stairs,  it  seemed  to  bring  sun- 
shine and  happiness  into  every  one's  heart  just  to 
hear  the  sounds.  Polly  and  the  boy's  in  the  school- 
room would  look  up  from  their  books  and  nod  away 
brightly  to  each  other,  and  then  fall  to  faster  than 
ever  on  their  lessons,  to  get  through  the  quicker  to 
b^  with  her  again. 


298  Five  Little  Peppers  ; 

One  thing  Phronsie  always  insisted  on,  and  kept  to 
it  pertinaciously  —  and  that  was  to  go  into  the  draw- 
ing-room with  Polly  when  she  went  to  practice,  and 
there,  with  one  of  her  numerous  family  of  dolls,  to  sit 
down  quietly  in  some  corner  and  wait  till  she  got 
through. 

Day  after  day  she  did  it,  until  Polly,  who  was  wor- 
ried to  think  how  tedious  it  must  be  for  her,  would 
look  around  and  say  — 

"  Oh,  childie,  do  run  out  and  play." 

"I  want  to  stay,"  Phronsie  would  beg  in  an  injured 
tone ;  "  please  let  me,  Polly." 

So  Polly  would  jump  and  give  her  a  kiss,  and  then, 
delighted  to  know  that  she  was  there,  would  go  at  her 
practicing  with  twice  the  vigor  and  enthusiasm. 

But  Phronsie's  chief  occupation,  at  least  when  she 
wasn't  with  Polly,  was  the  entertainment  and  amuse- 
ment of  Mr.  King.  And  never  was  she  very  long 
absent  from  his  side,  which  so  pleased  the  old  gentle- 
man that  he  could  scarcely  contain  himself,  as  with  a 
gravity  befitting  the  importance  of  her  office,  she 
would  follow  him  around  in  a  happy  contented  way, 
that  took  with  him  immensely.  And  now-a-days,  no 
one  ever  saw  the  old  gentleman  going  out  of  a  morn- 
ing, when  Jasper  was  busy  with  his  lessons,  without 
Phronsie  by  his  side,  and  many  people  turned  to  see 


And  How  They  Grew.  299 

the  portly  figure  with  the  handsome  head  bent  to  catch 
the  prattle  of  a  little  sunny-haired  child,  who  trotted 
along,  clasping  his  hand  confidingly.  And  nearly  all 
of  them  stopped  to  gaze  the  second  time  before  they 
could  convince  themselves  that  it  was  really  that  queer, 
•stiff  old  Mr.  King  of  whom  they  had  heard  so  much. 

And  now  the  accumulation  of  dolls  in  the  house 
became  something  alarming,  for  Mr.  King,  observing 
Phronsie's  devotion  to  her  family,  thought  there 
couldn't  possibly  be  too  many  of  them  ;  so  he  scarcely 
ever  went  out  without  bringing  home  one  at  least  to 
add  to  them,  until  Phronsie  had  such  a  remarkable 
collection  as  would  have  driven  almost  any  other  child 
nearly  crazy  with  delight.  She,  however,  regarded 
them  something  in  the  light  of  a  grave  responsibility, 
to  be  taken  care  of  tenderly,  to  be  watched  over  care- 
fully as  to  just  the  right  kind  of  bringing  up  ;  and  to 
have  small  morals  and  manners  taught  in  just  the 
right  way. 

Phronsie  was  playing  in  the  corner  of  Mrs.  Whit- 
ney's little  boudoir,  engaged  in  sending  out  invitations 
for  an  elaborate  tea-party  to  be  given  by  one  of  the 
dolls,  when  Polly  rushed  in  with  consternation  in  her 
tones,  and  dismay  written  all  over  her  face. 


300  Five  Little  Peppers  ; 

"What  is  it,  dear  ?  "  asked  Mrs.  Whitney,  looking 
up  from  her  embroidery. 

"Why,"  said  Polly,  "  how  could  I!  I  don't  see  — 
but  I've  forgotten  to  write  to  mamsie  to-day ;  it's 
Wednesday,  you  know,  and  there's  Monsieur  com- 
ing." And  poor  Polly  looked  out  in  despair  to  see 
the  lively  little  music  teacher  advancing  towards  the 
house  at  an  alarming  rate  of  speed. 

"  That  is  because  you  were  helping  Van  so  long 
last  evening  over  his  lessons,"  said  Mrs.  Whitney ;  "I 
am  so  sorry." 

"  Oh,  no,"  cried  Polly  honestly,  "  I  had  plenty  of 
time — but  I  forgot  'twas  mamsie's  day.  What  will 
she  do ! " 

"  You  will  have  to  let  it  go  now  till  the  afternoon, 
dear  ;  there's  no  other  way ;  it  can  go  in  the  early 
morning  mail." 

"Oh,  dear,"  sighed  Polly,  "I  suppose  I  must." 
And  she  went  down  to  meet  Monsieur  with  a  very  dis- 
tressed little  heart. 

Phronsie  laid  down  the  note  of  invitation  she  was 
scribbling,  and  stopped  to  think;  and  a  moment  or  two 
after,  at  a  summons  from  a  caller,  Mrs.  Whitney  left 
the  room. 

"  I  know  I  ought  to,"  said  Phronsie  to  herself  and 
the  dolls,  "yes,  I  know  I  had  ;  mamsie  will  feel,  oh! 


And  How  They  Grew,  301 

so  bad,  when  she  don't  get  Polly's  letter ;  and  I  know 
the  way,  I  do,  truly." 

She  got  up  and  went  to  the  window,  where  she 
thought  a  minute ;  and  then,  coming  back,  she  took 
up  her  little  stubby  pencil,  and  bending  over  a  small 
bit  of  paper,  she  commenced  to  trace  with  laborious 
efforts  and  much  hard  breathing,  some  very  queer 
hieroglyphics  that  to  her  seemed  to  be  admirable,  as 
at  last  she  held  them  up  with  great  satisfaction. 

"  Good  bye,"  she  said  then,  getting  up  and  bowing 
to  the  dolls  who  sat  among  the  interrupted  invitations, 
"  I  won't  be  gone  but  a  little  bit  of  one  minute,"  and 
she  went  out  determinedly  and  shut  the  door. 

Nobody  saw  the  little  figure  going  down  the  car- 
riage drive,  so  of  course  nobody  could  stop  her. 
When  Phronsie  got  to  the  gate-way  she  looked  up  and 
down  the  street  carefully,  either  way. 

"  Yes,"  she  said,  at  last,  "  it  was  down  here,  I'm 
very  sure,  I  went  with  grandpa,"  and  immediately 
turned  down  the  wrong  way,  and  went  on  and  on, 
grasping  carefully  her  small,  and  by  this  time  rather 
soiled  bit  of  paper. 

At  last  she  reached  the  business  streets  ;  and  al- 
though she  didn't  come  to  the  Post  Office,  she  com- 
forted herself  by  the  thought  —  "  it  must  be  coming 
soon.  I  guess  it's  round  this  corner." 


302  Five  Little  Peppers  ; 

She  kept  turning  corner  after  corner,  until,  at  last, 
a  little  anxious  feeling  began  to  tug  at  her  heart  ; 
and  she  began  to  think  —  "I  wish  I  could  see 
Polly  " 

And  now,  she  had  all  she  could  do  to  get  out  of 
the  way  of  the  crowds  of  people  who  were  pouring 
up  and  down  the  thoroughfare.  Everybody  jostled 
against  her,  and  gave  her  a  push.  "  Oh  dear  !  ' 
thought  Phronsie,  "  there's  such  a  many  big  people  !  " 
and  then  there  was  no  time  for  anything  else  but  to 
stumble  in  and  out,  to  keep  from  being  crushed  com- 
pletely beneath  their  feet.  At  last,  an  old  huckster 
woman,  in  passing  along,  knocked  off  her  bonnet 
with  the  end  of  her  big  basket,  which  flew  around 
and  struck  Phronsie's  head.  Not  stopping  to  look 
into  the  piteous  brown  eyes,  she  strode  on  without  a 
word.  Phronsie  turned  in  perfect  despair  to  go 
down  a  street  that  looked  as  if  there  might  be  room 
enough  for  her  in  it.  Thoroughly  frightened,  she 
plunged  over  the  crossing,  to  reach  it ! 

"  Look  out !"   cried  a  ringing  voice.      "  Stop  /" 

"  The  little  girPll  be  killed ! "  said  others  with 
bated  breath,  as  a  powerful  pair  of  horses  whose 
driver  could  not  pull  them  up  in  time,  dashed  along 
just  in  front  of  her  !  With  one  cry,  Phronsie  sprang 


And  How  They  Grew.  303 

between  their  feet,  and  reached  the  opposite  curb- 
stone in  safety ! 

The  plunge  brought  her  up  against  a  knot  of  gen- 
tlemen who  were  standing  talking  on  the  corner. 

"What's  this!"  asked  one,  whose  back  being 
next  to  the  street,  hadn't  seen  the  commotion,  as  the 
small  object  dashed  into  their  midst,  and  fell  up 
against  him. 

"  Didn't  you  see  that  narrow  escape  ? "  asked  a 
second,  whose  face  had  paled  in  witnessing  it. 
"This  little  girl  was  nearly  killed  a  moment  ago  — 
careless  driving  enough  !  "  And  he  put  out  his  hand 
to  catch  the  child. 

"  Bless  me  !  "  cried  a  third,  whirling  around  sud- 
denly, "  Bless  me  !  you  don't  say  so !  why  " 

With  a  small  cry,  but  gladsome  and  distinct  in  its 
utterance,  Phronsie  gave  one  look  — "  Oh,  grandpa  /  " 
was  all  she  could  say. 

"Oh!  where" — Mr.  King  couldn't  possibly  have 
uttered  another  word,  for  then  his  breath  gave  out 
entirely,  as  he  caught  the  small  figure. 

"  I  went  to  the  Post  Office,"  said  the  child,  cling- 
ing to  him  in  delight,  her  tangled  hair  waving  over 
the  little  white  face,  into  which  a  faint  pink  color  was 
quickly  coming  back.  "  Only  it  wouldn't  come  ;  and 
I  walked  and  walked — where  is  it,  grandpa?" 


304  Five  Little  Peppers  ; 

And  Phronsie  gazed  up  anxiously  into  the  old  gentle 
man's  face. 

"  She  went  to  the  Post  Office!"  turning  around  on 
the  others  fiercely,  as  if  they  had  contradicted  him 
—  "  Why,  my  child,  what  were  you  going  to  do  ?  " 

"  Mamsie's  letter,"  said  Phronsie,  holding  up  for 
inspection  the  precious  bit,  which  by  this  time,  was 
decidedly  forlorn — "  Polly  couldn't  write  ;  and  Mam- 
sie'd  feel  so  bad  not  to  get  one  —  she  would  really  " 
said  the  child,  shaking  her  head  very  soberly,  "  for 
Polly  said  so." 

"  And  you've  been  —  oh  !  I  can't  think  of  it," 
said  Mr.  King,  tenderly  taking  her  up  on  his  shoul- 
der, "  well,  we  must  get  home  now,  or  I  don't  know 
•what  Polly  will  do  ! "  And  without  stopping  to  say 
a  word  to  his  friends,  he  hailed  a  passing  carriage, 
and  putting  Phronsie  in,  he  commanded  the  driver  to 
get  them  as  quickly  as  possible  to  their  destination. 

In  a  few  moments  they  were  home.  Mr.  King 
pushed  into  the  house  with  his  burden.  "  Don't  any- 
body know,"  he  burst  out,  puffing  up  the  stairs,  and 
scolding  furiously  at  every  step,  "  enough  to  take 
better  care  of  this  child,  than  to  have  such  goings 
on ! " 

"What  is   the  matter,  father?"  asked   Mrs.  Whit- 


r. 


'  'TWAS  A   NAUGHTV'   HORSE  !  " 


And  How  They  Grew.  307 

ney,  coming  up  the  stairs,  after  him.  "  What  has 
happened  out  of  the  way  ?  " 

"  Out  of  the  way!"  roared  the  old  gentleman, 
irascibly,  ''  well,  if  you  want  Phronsie  racing  off 
to  the  Post  Office  by  herself,  and  nearly  getting 
killed,  poor  child  !  yes,  Marian,  I  say  nearly  killed  ! " 
he  continued. 

"  What  do  you  mean  ?  "  gasped  Mrs.  Whitney. 

"  Why,  where  have  you  been  ?  "  asked  the  old  gen- 
tleman, who  wouldn't  let  Phronsie  get  down  out  of 
his  arms,  under  any  circumstances ;  so  there  she  lay, 
poking  up  her  head  like  a  little  bird,  and  trying  to 
say  she  wasn't  in  the  least  hurt,  "  where's  everybody 
been  not  to  know  she'd  gone  ? "  he  exclaimed, 
"  where's  Polly —  and  Jasper  —  and  all  of  'em  ?  " 

"  Polly's  taking  her  music  lesson,"  said  Mrs.  Whit- 
ney. "  Oh,  Phronsie  darling ! "  and  she  bent 
over  the  child  in  her  father's  arms,  and  nearly 
smothered  her  with  kisses. 

"  'Twas  a  naughty  horse,"  said  Phronsie,  sitting  up 
straight  and  looking  at  her,  "or  I  should  have  found 
the  Post  Office  ;  and  I  lost  off  my  bonnet,  too,"  she 
added,  for  the  first  time  realizing  her  loss,  putting  her 
hand  to  her  head  ;  "  a  bad  old  woman  knocked  it  off 
with  a  basket — and  now  mamsie  won't  get  her  letter  !  " 
and  she  waved  the  bit,  which  she  still  grasped  firmly 


308  Five  Little  Peppers  ; 

between  her  thumb  and  finger,  sadly  towards  Mrs. 
Whitney. 

"  Oh,  clear,"  groaned  that  lady,  "  how  could  we  talk 
before  her  !  But  who  would  have  thought  it !  Dar- 
ling," and  she  took  the  little  girl  from  her  father's 
arms,  who  at  last  let  her  go,  u  don't  think  of  your 
mamma's  letter  ;  we'll  tell  her  how  it  was,"  and  she 
sat  down  in  the  first  chair  that  she  could  reach  ;  while 
Phronsie  put  her  tumbled  little  head  down  on  the 
kind  shoulder  and  gave  a  weary  little  sigh. 

"  It  was  so  long/'  she  said,  "  and  my  shoes  hurt," 
and  she  thrust  out  the  dusty  little  boots,  that  spoke 
pathetically  of  the  long  and  unaccustomed  tramp. 

"  Poor  little  lamb  !  "  said  Mr.  King,  getting  down 
to  unbutton  them.  "  What  a  shame  !  "  he  mumbled 
pulling  off  half  of  the  buttons  in  his  franlic  endeav- 
ors to  get  them  off  quickly. 

But  Phronsie  never  heard  the  last  of  his  objurga- 
tions, for  in  a  minute  she  was  fast  asleep.  The  tan- 
gled hair  fell  off  from  the  tired  little  face ;  the 
breathing  came  peaceful  and  regular,  and  with  her 
little  hand  fast  clasped  in  Mrs.  Whitney's  she  slept 
on  and  on. 

Polly  came  flying  up  stairs,  two  or  three  at  a  time, 
and  humming  a  scrap  of  her  last  piece  that  she  had 
just  conquered. 


And  How  They  Grew.  309 

"  Phronsie,"  she  called,  with  a  merry  little  laugh, 
"where  "  — 

"  Hush  ! "  said  Mr.  King,  warningly,  and  then  just 
because  he  couldn't  explain  there  without  waking 
Phronsie  up,  he  took  hold  of  Polly's  two  shoulders 
and  marched  her  into  the  next  room,  where  he  care- 
fully closed  the  door,  and  told  her  the  whole  thing, 
using  his  own  discretion  about  the  very  narrow  escape 
she  had  passed  through.  He  told  enough,  however, 
for  Polly  to  see  what  had  been  so  near  them  ;  and  she 
stood  there  so  quietly,  alternately  paling  and  flushing 
as  he  proceeded,  till  at  last,  when  he  finished,  Mr. 
King  was  frightened  almost  to  death  at  the  sight  of 
her  face. 

"  Oh,  goodness  me,  Polly  !  "  he  said,  striding  up  to 
her,  and  then  fumbling  around  on  the  table  to  find  a 
glass  of  water,  "you  are  not  going  to  faint,  are  you  ? 
Phronsie's  all  well  now,  she  isn't  hurt  in  the  least,  I 
assure  you  ;  I  assure  you  —  where  is  a  glass  of  water ! 
Marian  ought  to  see  that  there's  some  here  —  that 
stupid  Jane  !  "  and  in  utter  bewilderment  he  was  fuss- 
ing here  and  there,  knocking  down  so  many  things 
in  general,  that  the  noise  soon  brought  Polly  to,  with 
a  little  gasp. 

"Oh,  don't  mind  me,  dear  Mr.  King  —  I'm  —  all 
well." 


3 1  o  Five  Little  Peppers  ; 

"  So  you  are,"  said  the  old  gentleman,  setting  up  a 
toilet  bottle  that  he  had  knocked  over,  ' '  so  you  are  ; 
I  didn't  think  you'd  go  and  tumble  over,  Polly,  I 
really  didn't,"  and  he  beamed  admiringly  down  on 
her. 

And  then  Polly  crept  away  to  Mrs.  Whitney's  side 
where  she  threw  herself  down  on  the  floor,  to  watch 
the  little  sleeping  figure.  Her  hand  was  gathered  up, 
into  the  kind  one  that  held  Phronsie's ;  and  there 
they  watched  and  watched  and  waited. 

"  Oh,  dear,"  said  Phronsie,  suddenly,  turning  over 
with  a  little  sigh,  and  bobbing  up  her  head  to  look  at 
Polly  ;  "  I'm  so  hungry  !  I  haven't  had  anything  to 
eat  in  ever  an'  ever  so  long,  Polly !  "  and  she  gazed 
at  her  with  a  very  injured  countenance. 

"  So  you  must  be,"  said  Mrs.  Whitney,  kissing  the 
flushed  little  face.  "  Polly  must  ring  the  bell  for  Jane 
to  bring  this  little  bird  some  crumbs." 

"  Can  I  have  a  great  many  ? "  asked  Phronsie,  lift- 
ing her  eyes,  with  the  dewy  look  of  sleep  still  linger- 
ing in  them,  ( '  as  many  as  two  birdies  ?  " 

"  Yes,  dear,"  said  Mrs.  Whitney,  laughing ;  "  I 
think  as  many  as  three  little  birdies  could  eat, 
Phronsie." 

"Oh,"   said    Phronsie,  and    leaned  back   satisfied, 


And  How  They  Grew.  311 

while  Polly  gave  the  order,  which  was  presently  fol- 
lowed by  Jane  with  a  well-filled  tray. 

"  Now,"  said  Jappy,  when  he  heard  the  account  of 
the  adventure,  "  /  say  that  letter  ought  to  go  to  your 
mother,  Polly." 

"  Oh,"  said  Polly,  "  it  would  scare  mamsie  most  to 
death,  Jappy !  " 

"  Don't  tell  her  the  whole,"  said  Jasper,  quickly,  "I 
didn't  mean  that  —  about  the  horses  and  all  that  — 
but  only  enough  to  let  her  see  how  Phronsie  tried  to 
get  it  to  her." 

"  And  I'm  going  to  write  to  your  brother  Joel,"  said 
Van,  drawing  up  to  the  library  table  ;  "  I'll  scare  Aim, 
Polly,  I  guess  ;  he  won't  tell  your  mother." 

"  Your  crow-tracks'll  scare  him  enough  without  any- 
thing else,"  said  Percy,  pleasantly,  who  really  could 
write  very  nicely,  while  Polly  broke  out  in  an  agony  : 

"Oh,  no,  Van,  you  mustn't!    you  mustn't !  " 

"If  Van  does,"  said  Jasper,  decidedly,  "it'll  be  the 
last  time  he'll  write  to  the  '  brown  house,'  I  can  tell 
him  ;  and  besides,  he'll  go  to  Coventry."  This  had 
the  desired  effect. 

"  Let's  all  write,"  said  Polly. 

So  a  space  on  the  table  was  cleared,  and  the  chil- 
dren gathered  around  it,  when  toere  was  great  scratch- 


312  Five    Little     Peppers; 

ing  of  pens,  and  clearing  of  ideas  ;  which  presently 
resulted  in  a  respectable  budget  of  letters,  into  which 
Phronsie's  was  lovingly  tucked  in  the  centre  ;  and 
then  they  all  filed  out  to  put  it  into  the  letter-box  in 
the  hall,  for  Thomas  to  mail  with  the  rest  in  the 
morning. 


And  How  They  Grew.  313 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

GETTING    READY    FOR    MAMSIE   AND   THE    BOYS. 

AND  I'll  tell  you,  Marian,  what  I  am  going  to 
do." 

Mr.  King's  voice  was  pitched  on  a  higher  key  than 
usual ;  and  extreme  determination  was  expressed  in  ev- 
ery line  of  his  face.  He  had  met  Mrs.  Whitney  at  the 
foot  of  the  staircase,  dressed  for  paying  visits.  "  Oh, 
are  you  going  out  ?  "  he  said,  glancing  impatiently  at 
her  attire.  "  And  I'd  just  started  to  speak  to  you  on 
a  matter  of  great  importance  !  Of  the  greatest  im- 
portance indeed  !  "  he  repeated  irritably,  as  he  stood 
with  one  gloved  hand  resting  on  the  balustrade. 

"  Oh,  it's  no  matter,  father,"  she  replied  pleas- 
antly ;  "  if  it's  really  important,  I  can  postpone  going 
for  another  day,  and  —  " 

"Really  important!"  repeated  the  old  gentleman 
irascibly.  "  Haven't  I  just  told  you  it's  of  the  great- 


314  Five  Little  Peppers  ; 

est  importance  ?  There's  no  time  to  be  lost ;  and  with 
my  state  of  health  too,  it's  of  the  utmost  conse- 
quence that  I  shouldn't  be  troubled.  It's  very  bad 
for  me ;  I  should  think  you  would  realize  that,  Mari- 
an." 

"  I'll  tell  Thomas  to  take  the  carriage  directly 
back,"  said  Mrs.  Whitney  stepping  to  the  door.  "  Or 
stay,  father  ;  I'll  just  run  up  and  send  the  children 
out  for  a  little  drive.  The  horses  ought  to  be  used 
too,  you  know,"  she  said  lightly,  preparing  to  run  up 
to  carry  out  the  changed  plan. 

"  Never  mind  that  now,"  said  Mr.  King  abruptly. 
"  I  want  you  to  give  me  your  attention  directly.'1' 
And  walking  towards  the  library  door,  getting  a  fresh 
accession  of  impatience  with  every  step,  he  beck- 
oned her  to  follow. 

But  his  progress  was  somewhat  impeded  by  little 
Dick  —  or  rather,  little  Dick  and  Prince,  who  were 
standing  at  the  top  of  the  stairs  to  see  Mrs.  Whitney 
off.  When  he  saw  his  mother  retrace  her  steps, 
supposing  her  yielding  to  the  urgent  entreaties  that 
he  was  sending  after  her  to  stay  at  home,  the  child 
suddenly  changed  his  "  Good-byes "  to  vociferous 
howls  of  delight,  and  speedily  began  to  plunge  down 
the  stairs  to  welcome  her. 

But  the  staircase  was  long,  and  little  Dick  was  in  a 


And  How  They  Grew.  315 

hurry,  and  besides,  Prince  was  in  the  way.  The  con- 
sequence was,  nobody  knew  just  how,  that  a  bump- 
ing noise  struck  into  the  conversation  that  made  the 
two  below  in  the  hall  look  up  quickly,  to  see  the  child 
and  dog  come  rolling  over  the  stairs  at  a  rapid 
*ate. 

"  Zounds  !  "  cried  the  old  gentleman.  "  Here, 
Thomas,  Thomas ! "  But  as  that  individual  was 
waiting  patiently  outside  the  door  on  the  carriage 
box,  there  was  small  hope  of  his  being  in  time  to 
catch  the  boy,  who  was  already  in  his  mother's  arms, 
not  quite  clear  by  the  suddenness  of  the  whole  thing, 
as  to  how  he  came  there. 

"  Oh !  oh  !  Dicky's  hurt !  "  cried  somebody  up 
above  —  followed  by  every  one  within  hearing  dis- 
tance, and  all  came  rushing  to  the  spot  to  ask  a  thou- 
sand questions  all  in  the  same  minute. 

There  sat  Mrs.  Whitney  in  one  of  the  big  carved 
chairs,  with  little  Dick  in  her  lap,  and  Prince  walking 
gravely  around  and  around  him  with  the  greatest 
expression  of  concern  on  his  noble  face.  Mr.  King 
tvas  storming  up  and  down,  and  calling  on  ev- 
erybody to  bring  a  "bowl  of  water,  and  some  brown 
paper  ;  and  be  quick  /"  interpolated  with  showers  of 
blame  on  Prince  for  sitting  on  the  stairs,  and  tripping 
people  up !  while  Dick  meanwhile  was  laughing  and 


3 1 6  Five  Little  Peppers  ; 

chatting,  and  enjoying  the  distinction  of  making  so 
many  people  run,  and  of  otherwise  being  the  object 
of  so  much  attention  ! 

"  I  don't  think  he  was  sitting  on  the  stairs,  father," 
said  Jasper,  who,  when  he  saw  that  Dicky  was  really 
unhurt,  began  to  vindicate  his  dog.  "  He  never  does 
that ;  do  you  Sir  ?  "  he  said  patting  the  head  that  was 
lifted  up  to  him,  as  if  to  be  defended. 

"And  I  expect  we  shall  all  be  killed  some  day, 
Jasper,"  said  Mr.  King,  warming  with  his  subject ; 
and  forgetting  all  about  the  brown  paper  and  water 
which  he  had  ordered,  and  which  was  now  waiting  for 
him  at  his  elbow,  '•  just  by  that  creature." 

"  He's  the  noblest  "  —  began  Jasper,  throwing  his 
arms  around  his  neck  ;  an  example  which  was  imme- 
diately followed  by  the  Whitney  boys,  and  the 
two  little  Peppers.  When  Dick  saw  this,  he  be- 
gan to  struggle  to  get  down  to  add  himself  to  the 
number. 

"  Where's  the  brown  paper  ?  "  began  Mr.  King,  see- 
ing this  and  whirling  around  suddenly.  "  Hasn't  any 
body  brought  it  yet  ?  " 

"  Here  'tis  sir,"  said  Jane,  handing  him  a  generous 
supply. 

"  Oh,  I  don't  want  to,"  cried  little  Dick  in  dismay, 
seeing  his  grandfather  advance  with  an  enormous 


And  How  They  Grew. 


317 


piece  of  paper,  which  previously  wet  in  the  bowl  of 
water,  was  now  unpleasantly  clammy  and  wet  —  "  oh, 
no,  I  don't  want  to  be  all  stuck  up  with  old  horrid 
wet  paper  ! " 


EVERY   SINGLE  ONE  OK  THEM  ! 

"  Hush,  dear !  "  said  his  mamma,  soothingly. 
"  Grandpapa  wants  to  put  it  on  —  there  "  —  as 
Mr.  King  dropped  it  scientifically  on  his  head,  and 
then  proceeded  to  paste  another  one  over  his  left  eye. 

"  And  I  hope  they'll  all  drop  off,"  cried  Dick,  sav- 
agely, shaking  his  head  to  facilitate  matters.  "  Yes, 
I  do,  every  single  one  of  'em  !  "  he  added,  with  an  ex- 


3 1 8  Five  Little.  Peppers  ; 

pression  that  seen  under  the  brown  bits  was  anything 
but  benign. 

"  Was  Prince  on  the  stairs,  Dick  ? "  asked  Jasper, 
coming  up  and  peering  under  his  several  adornments. 
"  Tell  us  how  you  fell  !  " 

"  No,"  said  little  Dick,  crossly,  and  giving  his  head 
another  shake.  "  He  was  up  in  the  hall  —  oh,  dear, 
I  want  to  get  down,"  and  he  began  to  stretch  his  legs 
and  to  struggle  with  so  much  energy,  that  two  or  three 
pieces  fell  off,  and  landed  on  the  floor  to  his  intense 
delight. 

"  And  how  did  you  fall  then  ?  "  said  Jasper,  perse- 
veringly.  "  Can't  you  remember,  Dicky,  boy  ?  " 

"  I  pushed  Princey,"  said  Dick,  feeling,  with  free- 
dom from  some  of  his  encumbrances,  more  disposed 
for  conversation,  "  and  made  him  go  ahead  —  and 
then  I  fell  on  top  of  him  — that's  all." 

"  I  guess  Prince  has  saved\\\m,  father,"  cried  Jasper, 
turning  around  with  eyes  full  of  pride  and  love  on 
the  dog,  who  was  trying  as  hard  as  he  could  to  tell  all 
the  children  how  much  he  enjoyed  their  caresses. 

And  so  it  all  came  about  that  the  consultation  so 
summarily  interrupted  was  never  held.  For,  as  Mrs. 
Whitney  was  about  retiring  that  evening,  Mr.  King 
rapped  at  her  door,  on  his  way  to  bed. 

"  Oh,"  he  said  popping  in  his  head,  in  response  to 


And  How  They  Grew.  319 

her  invitation  to  come  in,  "  it's  nothing  —  only  I 
thought  I'd  just  tell  you  a  word  or  two  about  what 
I've  decided  to  do." 

"  Do  you  mean  what  you  wanted  to  see  me  about 
this  afternoon?"  asked  Mrs.  Whitney,  who  hadn't 
thought  of  it  since.  "  Do  come  in,  father." 

u  It's  no  consequence,"  said  the  old  gentleman  ; 
"  no  consequence  at  all,"  he  repeated,  waving  his 
hand  emphatically,  "  because  I've  made  up  my  mind 
and  arranged  all  my  plans  —  it's  only  about  the 
Peppers  —  " 

"  The  Peppers  ?  "  repeated  Mrs.  Whitney. 

"Yes.  Well,  the  fact  of  it  is,  I'm  going  to  have 
them  here  for  a  visit  —  the  whole  of  them,  you  under- 
stand ;  that's  all  there  is  to  it.  And  I  shall  go  down 
to  see  about  all  the  arrangements — Jasper  and  I — day 
after  to-morrow,"  said  the  old  gentleman,  as  if  he 
owned  the  whole  Pepper  family  inclusive,  and  was 
the  only  responsible  person  to  be  consulted  about  their 
movements. 

"  Will  they  come  ?  "  asked  Mrs.  Whitney,  doubt- 
fully. 

"  Come  ?  of  course,"  said  Mr.  King,  sharply,  "  there 
isn't  any  other  way  ;  or  else  Mrs.  Pepper  will  be  send- 
ing for  her  children  —  and  of  course  you  know, 
Marian,  we  couldn't  allow  that well,  that's  all }  so 


320  Five  Little  Peppers  ; 

good  night,"  and  the  door  closed  on   his   retreating 
footsteps. 

And  so  Polly  and  Phronsie  soon  knew  that  mamsie 
and  the  boys  were  to  be  invited  !  And  then  the  grand 
house,  big  as  it  was,  didn't  seem  large  enough  to  con- 
tain them. 

"  I  declare,"  said  Jasper,  next  day,  when  they  had 
been  laughing  and  planning  till  they  were  all  as 
merry  as  grigs,  "  if  this  old  dungeon  don't  begin  to 
seem  a  little  like  '  the  little  brown  house,'  Polly." 

"  'Twon't,"  answered  Polly,  hopping  around  on  one 
toe,  followed  by  Phronsie,  "  till  mamsie  and  the  boys 
get  here,  Jasper  King  !  " 

"  Well,  they'll  be  here  soon/'  said  Jappy,  pleased 
at  Polly's  exultation  over  it,  "  for  we're  going  to- 
morrow to  do  the  inviting." 

"  And  Polly's  to  write  a  note  to  slip  into  Marian's," 
said  Mr.  King,  putting  his  head  in  at  the  door.  "  And 
if  you  want  your  mother  to  come,  child,  why,  you'd 
better  mentign  it  as  strong  as  you  can." 

"I'm  going  to  write,"  said  Phronsie,  pulling  up 
after  a  prolonged  skip,  all  out  of  breath.  "  I'm  going 
to  write,  and  beg  mamsie  dear.  Then  she'll  come,  I 
guess." 

"  I  guess  she  will,"  said  Mr.  King,  looking  at  her. 


And  How  They  Grew.  321 

"  You  go  on,  Phronsie,  and  write  ;  and  that  letter 
shall  go  straight  in  my  coat  pocket  alone  by  itself." 

"  Shall  it  ?  "  asked  Phronsie,  coming  up  to  him, 
"  and  nobody  will  take  it  out  till  you  give  it  to  mam- 
sie  ? " 

"  No,  nobody  shall  touch  it,"  said  the  old  gentle- 
man, stooping  to  kiss  the  upturned  face,  "  till  I  put  it 
into  her  own  hand." 

"  Then,"  said  Phronsie,  in  the  greatest  satisfaction, 
"  I'm  going  to  write  this  very  one  minute  !  "  and  she 
marched  away  to  carry  her  resolve  into  immediate 
execution. 

Before  they  got  through  they  had  quite  a  bundle  of 
invitations  and  pleadings ;  for  each  of  the  three  boys 
insisted  on  doing  his  part,  so  that  when  they  were 
finally  done  up  in  an  enormous  envelope  and  put  into 
Mr.  King's  hands,  he  told  them  with  a  laugh  that 
there  was  no  use  for  Jappy  and  himself  to  go,  as 
those  were  strong  enough  to  win  almost  anybody's 
consent. 

However,  the  next  morning  they  se't  off,  happy  in 
their  hopes,  and  bearing  the  countless  messages, 
which  the  children  would  come  up  every  now  and 
then  to  intrust  to  them,  declaring  that  they  had  for- 
gotten to  put  them  in  the  letters. 

"  You'd  had  to  have  had  an  express  wagon  to  carry 


322  Five  Little  Peppers; 

the  letters  if  you  had  put  them  all  in,"  at  last  cried 
Jasper.  "You've  given  us  a  bushel  of  things  to  re- 
member." 

"  And  oh  !  don't  forget  to  ask  Ben  to  bring  Cherry," 
cried  Polly,  the  last  minute  as  they  were  driving  off 


"I'M   GOING  TO  WRITE  THIS   VERY  ONE  MINUTE." 

although  she  had  put  it  in  her  letter  at  least  a  dozen 
times  ;  "  and  oh,  dear !  of  course  the  flowers  can't 
come." 

"  We've  got  plenty  here,"  said  Jasper.  "  You  would 
not  know  what  to  do  with  them,  Polly." 

"  Well,  I  do  wish  mamsie  would  give  some  to  kind 
Mrs.  Henderson,  then,"  said  Polly,  on  the  steps,  clasp- 


And  How  They    Grew.  323 

ing  her  hands  anxiously,  while  Jasper  told  Thomas  to 
wait  till  he  heard  the  rest  of  the  message,  "  and  to 
grandma  —  you  know  Grandma  Bascom  ;  she  was  so 
good  to  us,"  she  said  impulsively.  "And,  oh  !  don't 
let  her  forget  to  carry  some  to  dear,  dear  Dr.  Fisher ; 
and  don't  forget  to  give  him  our  love,  Jappy  ;  don't 
forget  that !  "  and  Polly  ran  down  the  steps  to  the  car- 
riage door,  where  she  gazed  up  imploringly  to  the 
boy's  face. 

"  I  guess  I  won't,"  cried  Jasper,  "  when  I  think  how 
he  saved  your  eyes,  Polly !  He's  the  best  fellow  I 
know  ! "  he  finished  in  an  impulsive  burst. 

"  And  don't  let  mamsie  forget  to  carry  some  in  to 
good  old  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Beebe  in  town — where  Phronsie 
got  her  shoes,  you  know  ;  that  is,  if  mamsie  can,"  she 
added,  remembering  how  very  busy  her  mother  would 
be. 

"  I'll  carry  them  myself,"  said  Jasper ;  "  we're  going 
to  stay  over  till  the  next  day,  you  know." 

"  O  !  "  cried  Polly,  radiant  as  a  rose,  "  will  you, 
really,  Jappy  ?  you're  so  good  !  " 

"  Yes,  I  will,"  said  Jasper,  "  everything  you  want 
done,  Polly ;  anything  else  ?  "  he  asked,  quickly,  as 
Mr.  King,  impatient  to  be  off,  showed  unmistakable 
symptoms  of  hurrying  up  Thomas. 

"  Oh,  no,"   said  Polly,  "  only  do   look  at  the   little 


324  five  Little  Peppers  ; 

brown  house,  Jasper,  as  much  as  you  can,"  and  Polly 
left  the  rest  unfinished.  Jasper  seemed  to  understand, 
however,  for  he  smiled  brightly  as  he  said,  looking 
into  the  brown  eyes,  "  I'll  do  it  all,  Polly  ;  every  sin- 
gle thing."  And  then  they  were  off. 

Mamsie  and  the  boys  !  could  Polly  ever  wait  till 
the  next  afternoon  that  would  bring  the  decision  ? 

Long  before  it  was  possibly  time  for  the  carriage 
to  come  back  from  the  depot,  Polly,  with  Phronsie 
and  the  three  boys,  who,  improving  Jasper's  absence, 
had  waited  upon  her  with  the  grace  and  persistence 
of  cavaliers  of  the  olden  time,  were  drawn  up  at  the 
old  stone  gateway. 

"  Oh,  dear,"  said  Van  with  an  impatient  fling ; 
"  they  never  will  come  !  " 

"  Won't  they,  Polly  ?  "  asked  Phronsie,  anxiously, 
and  standing  quite  still. 

"  Dear  me,  yes,"  said  Polly,  with  a  little  laugh, 
"  Van  only  means  they'll  be  a  good  while,  Phronsie. 
They're  sure  to  come  some  time." 

"Oh  !  "  said  Phronsie,  quite  relieved  ;  and  she  com- 
menced her  capering  again  in  extreme  enjoyment. 

"  I'm  going,"  said  little  Dick  "  to  run  down  and 
meet  them." 

Accordingly  off  he  went,  and  was  immediately  fol- 


And  How  They  Grew.  325 

lowed  by  Percy,  who  started  with  the  laudable  desire 
of  bringing  him  back  ;  but  finding  it  so  very  enjoya- 
ble, he  stayed  himself  and  frolicked  with  Dick,  till  the 
others,  hearing  the  fun,  all  took  hold  of  hands  and 
flew  off  to  join  them. 

"  Now,"  said  Polly,  when  they  recovered  their 
breath  a  little,  "  let's  all  turn  our  backs  to  the  road  ; 
and  the  minute  we  hear  the  carriage  we  must  whirl 
round ;  and  the  one  who  sees  'em  first  can  ask  first 
'  Is  mamsie  coming  ? '  " 

"  All  right,"  cried  the  boys. 

"Turn  round,  Dick,"  said  Percy,  with  a  little  shove, 
for  Dick  was  staring  with  all  his  might  right  down 
the  road.  And  so  they  all  flew  around  till  they  looked 
like  five  statues  set  up  to  grace  the  sidewalk. 

"  Suppose  a  big  dog  should  come,"  suggested  Van, 
pleasantly,  "and  snap  at  our  backs  !  " 

At  this  little  Dick  gave  a  small  howl,  and  turned 
around  in  a  fright. 

"There  isn't  any  dog  coming,  "said  Polly.  "What 
does  make  you  say  such  awful  things,  Van  ?  " 

"  I  hear  a  noise,"  said  Phronsie ;  and  so  they  all 
whirled  around  in  expectation.  But  it  proved  to  be 
only  a  market  wagon  coming  at  a  furious  pace  down 
the  road,  with  somebody's  belated  dinner.  So  they 
all  had  to  whirl  back  again  as  before.  The  conse- 


32 6  Five  Little  Peppers  ; 

quence  was  that  when  the  carriage  did  come,  nobody 
heard  it. 

Jasper,  looking  out,  was  considerably  astonished  to 
see,  drawn  up  in  solemn  array  with  their  backs  to 
the  road,  five  children,  who  stood  as  if  completely 
petrified. 

"  What  in  the  world  !  "  he  began,  and  called  to 
Thomas  to  stop,  whose  energetic  "  Whoa  /"  reaching 
the  ears  of  the  frozen  line,  caused  it  to  break  ranks, 
and  spring  into  life  at  an  alarming  rate. 

"  Oh,  is  she  coming  Jappy  ?  fs  she  ?  Is  she  ?  " 
they  all  screamed  together ,  swarming  up  to  the  car- 
riage door,  and  over  the  wheels. 

"  Yes,"  said  Jasper  looking  at  Polly. 

At  that,  Phronsie  made  a  little  cheese  and  sat 
right  down  on  the  pavement  in  an  ecstasy. 

"Get  in  here,  all  of  you;"  said  Jasper  merrily; 
"help  Polly  in  first.  For  shame  Dick  !  clon't  scram- 
ble so." 

"Dick  always  shoves,"  said  Percy,  escorting  Polly 
up  with  quite  an  air. 

"  I  don't  either  "  said  Dick  ;  "you  pushed  me  aw- 
ful, just  a  little  while  ago,"  he  added  indignantly. 

"  Do  say  awfully,"  corrected  Van,  crowding  up  to 
get  in.  "  You  leave  off  your  lys  so,"  he  finished  crit 
ically 


And  How  They  Grew.  327 

"  I  don't  know  anything  about  any  lees,"  said  little 
Dick,  who,  usually  so  good  natured,  was  now 
thoroughly  out  of  temper  ;  "  I  want  to  get  in  and 
go  home,"  and  he  showed  evident  symptoms  of  break- 
ing into  a  perfect  roar. 

"There,"  said  Polly,  lifting  him  up,  "there  he 
goes  !  now  —  one,  two,  three  !  "  and  little  Dick  was 
spun  in  so  merrily  that  the  tears  changed  into  a 
happy  laugh. 

"  Now  then,  bundle  in,  all  the  rest  of  you,"  put  in 
Mr.  King,  who  seemed  to  be  in  the  best  of  spirits. 
"  That's  it ;  go  on,  Thomas  ! ." 

"When  are  they  coming?"  Polly  found  time  to 
ask  in  the  general  jumble. 

"  In  three  weeks  from  to-morrow,"  said  Jasper. 
"  And  everything's  all  right,  Polly  !  and  the  whole  of 
them,  Cherry  and  all,  will  be  here  then !  " 

"OA/"  said  Polly. 

"  Here  we  are  ! "  cried  Van,  jumping  out  almost 
before  the  carriage  door  was  open.  "  Mamma ; 
mamma, "  he  shouted  to  Mrs.  Whitney  in  the  door- 
way, "  the  Peppers  are  coming  and  the  little  brown 
house  too  !  —  everything  and  everybody  "  ! 

"  They  are  !  "  said  Percy,  as  wild  as  his  brother  ; 
"  and  everything's  just  splendid  !  Jappy  said  so." 


328  Five  Little  Peppers  ; 

"  Everything's  coming,"  said  little  Dick,  tumbling 
up  the  steps  —  "  and  the  bird  —  and  —  and  —  " 

"  And  mamsie  !  "  finished  Phronsie,  impatient  to 
add  her  part  —  while  Polly  didn't  say  anything  — 
only  looked. 

Three  weeks !  "  I  can't  wait  ! "  thought  Polly  at 
first,  in  counting  over  the  many  hours  before  the 
happy  day  would  come.  But  on  Jasper's  suggesting 
that  they  should  all  do  something  to  get  ready  for  the 
visitors,  and  have  a  general  trimming  up  with  vines 
and  flowers  beside  —  the  time  passed  away  much 
more  rapidly  than  was  feared. 

Polly  chose  a  new  and  more  difficult  piece  of 
music  to  learn  to  surprise  mamsie.  Phronsie  had 
aspired  to  an  elaborate  pincushion,  that  was  nearly 
done,  made  of  bits  of  worsted  and  canvas,  over 
whose  surface  she  had  wandered  according  to  her 
own  sweet  will,  in  a  way  charming  to  behold. 

"  I  don't  know  what  to  do,"  said  Van  in  de- 
spair, "cause  I  don't  know  what  she'd  like." 

"  Can't  you  draw  her  a  little  picture  ?  "  asked 
Polly.  "She'd  like  that." 

"Does  she  like  pictures  ?"  asked  Van.  with  the 
greatest  interest. 

"  Yes  indeed  !  "  said  Polly,  "  I  guess  you'd  think  so 
if  you  .could  see  her  !  " 


And  How   They  Grew.  329 

"  I  know  what /shall  do,"  with  a  dignified  air 
said  Percy,  who  couldn't  draw,  and  therefore  looked 
down  on  all  Van's  attempts  with  the  greatest  scorn. 
"And  it  won't  be  any  old  pictures  either,"  he 
added. 

"  What  is  it,  old  fellow  ?  "  asked  Jasper,  "  tell  on, 
now,  your  grand  plan." 

"No,  I'm  not  going  to  tell/'  said  Percy,  with  the 
greatest  secrecy,  "until  the  very  day." 

"  What  will  you  do,  sir  ?  "  asked  Jasper,  pulling  one 
of  Dick's  ears,  who  stood  waiting  to  speak,  as  if  his 
mind  was  made  up,  and  wouldn't  be  changed  for  any- 
one ! 

"I  shall  give  Ben  one  of  my  kitties  —  the  littlest 
and  the  best ! "  he  said,  with  heroic  self-sacrifice. 

A  perfect  shout  greeted  this  announcement. 

"  Fancy  Ben  going  round  with  one  of  those  awful 
little  things,"  whispered  Jappy  to  Polly,  who  shook  at 
the  very  thought. 

"  Don't  laugh !  oh,  it's  dreadful  to  laugh  at  him, 
Jappy,"  she  said,  when  she  could  get  voice  enough. 

"  No,  I  shctrft  tell,"  said  Percy,  when  the  fun  had 
subsided  ;  who,  finding  that  no  one  teased  him  to 
divulge  his  wonderful  plan,  kept  trying  to  harrow  up 
their  feelings  by  parading  it. 

"  You  needn't  then,"  screamed  Van,  who  was  nearly 


330  Five  Little  Peppers; 

dying  to  know.  "  I  don't  believe  it's  so  very  dread- 
ful much,  anyway." 

"  What's  yours,  Jappy  ?  "  asked  Polly,  "  I  know 
yours  will  be  just  splendid." 

"  Oh,  no,  it  isn't,"  said  Jasper,  smiling  brightly, 
"but  as  I  didn't  know  what  better  I  could  do,  I'm 
going  to  get  a  little  stand,  and  then  beg  some  flowers 
of  Turner  to  fill  it,  and  —  " 

"Why,  that's  mine  /^  screamed  Percy,  in  the  great- 
est disappointment.  "  That's  just  what  /  was  going 
to  do  ! " 

u  Hoh,  hoh  ! "  shouted  Van  ;  "  I  thought  you 
wouldn't  tell,  Mr.  Percy!  hoh.  hoh  !  " 

"  Hoh,  hoh  !  "  echoed  Dick. 

"  Hush,"  said  Jappy.  "  Why,  Percy,  I  didn't  know 
as  you  had  thought  of  that,"  he  said  kindly.  "  Well, 
then,  you  do  it,  and  I'll  take  something  else.  I  don't 
care  as  long  as  Mrs.  Pepper  gets  'em." 

"  I  didn't  exactly  mean  that,"  began  Percy  ;  "mine 
was  roots  and  little  flowers  growing." 

"  He  means  what  he  gets  in  the  woods,"  said  Polly, 
explaining  ;  "  don't  you,  Percy  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  said  the  boy.  "  And  then  I  was  going  to 
put  stones  and  things  in  among  them  to  make  them 
look  pretty." 

"  And  they  will,"  cried  Jasper.     "  Go  ahead,  Percy, 


And  How  They  Grew.  33 1 

they'll  look  real  pretty,  and  then  Turner  will  give  you 
some  flowers  for  the  stand,  I  know  ;  I'll  ask  him  to- 
morrow." 

"  Will  you  ?  "  cried  Percy,  "  that'll  be  fine  !  " 

"  Mine  is  the  best,"  said  Van,  just  at  this  juncture  ; 
but  it  was  said  a  little  anxiously,  as  he  saw  how  things 
were  prospering  with  Percy  ;  "  for  my  flowers  in  the 
picture  will  always  be  there,  and  your  old  roots  and 
things  will  die." 

"  What  will  yours  be,  then,  Jappy  ?  "  asked  Polly 
very  soberly.  "  The  stand  of  flowers  would  have 
been  just  lovely  !  and  you  do  fix  them  so  nice,"  she 
added  sorrowfully. 

u  Oh,  I'll  find  something  else,"  said  Jappy,  cheer- 
fully, who  had  quite  set  his  heart  on  giving  the  flow- 
ers. "  Let  me  see  —  I  might  carve  her  a  bracket." 

"  Do,"  cried  Polly,  clapping  her  hands  enthusiasti- 
cally. "  And  do  carve  a  little  bird,  like  the  one  you 
did  on  your  father's." 

"  I  will,"  said  Jasper,  "just  exactly  like  it.  Now, 
we've  got  something  to  do,  before  we  welcome  the 
'  little  brown  house  '  people  —  so  let's  fly  at  it,  and  the 
time  won't  seem  so  long." 

And  at  last  the  day  came  when  they  could  all  say  — 
To-morrow  they'll  be  here  ! 


332  Five    Little     Peppers; 

Well,  the  vines  were  all  up  ;  and  pots  of  lovely 
climbing  ferns,  and  all  manner  of  pretty  green  things 
had  been  arranged  and  re-arranged  a  dozen  times  till 
everything  was  pronounced  perfect ;  and  a  big  green 
"  Welcome  "  over  the  library  door,  made  of  laurel 
leaves,  by  the  patient  fingers  of  all  the  children, 
stared  down  into  their  admiring  eyes  as  much  as  to 
say,  "  I'll  do  my  part !  " 

"  Oh,  dear,"  said  Phronsie,  when  evening  came, 
and  the  children  were,  as  usual,  assembled  on  the  rug 
before  the  fire,  their  tongues  running  wild  with  antici- 
pation and  excitement,  "  I  don't  mean  to  go  to  bed 
at  all,  Polly  ;  I  don't  truly." 

"Oh,  )'es,  you  do,"  said  Polly  laughing;  "then 
you'll  be  all  fresh  and  rested  to  see  mammy  when  she 
does  come." 

"Oh,  no,"  said  Phronsie,  shaking  her  head  soberly, 
and  speaking  in  an  injured  tone.  "  I'm  not  one  bit 
tired,  Polly  ;  not  one  bit." 

"  You  needn't  go  yet,  Phronsie,"  said  Polly.  "You 
can  sit  up  half  an  hour  yet,  if  you  want  to." 

"But  I  don't  want  to  goto  bed  at  all,"  said  the 
child  anxiously,  "for  then  I  may  be  asleep  when 
mamsie  comes,  Polly." 

"  She's   afraid   she   won't   wake   up,"  said    Percy, 


And  How    They   Grew.  333 

laughing.  "Oh,  there'll  be  oceans  of  time  before 
they  come,  Phronsie." 

"  What  is  oceans,"  asked  Phronsie,  coming  up  and 
looking  at  him,  doubtfully. 

"  He  means  mamsie  won't  get  here  till  afternoon," 
said  Polly,  catching  her  up  and  kissing  her;  "then  I 
guess  you'll  be  awake,  Phronsie,  pet." 

So  Phronsie  allowed  herself  to  be  persuaded,  at  the 
proper  time,  to  be  carried  off  and  inducted  into  her 
little  night-gown.  And  when  Polly  went  up  to  bed, 
she  found  the  little  pin-cushion,  with  its  hieroglyphics, 
that  she  had  insisted  on  taking  to  bed  with  her,  still 
tightly  grasped  in  the  little  fat  hand. 

"  She'll  roll  over  and  muss  it,"  thought  Polly  ; 
"  and  then  she'll  feel  bad  in  the  morning.  I  guess 
I'd  better  lay  it  on  the  bureau." 

So  she  drew  it  carefully  away,  without  awaking  the 
little  sleeper,  and  placed  it  where  she  knew  Phronsie's 
eyes  would  rest  on  it  the  first  thing  in  the  morn- 
ing. 

It  was  going  on  towards  the  middle  of  the  night 
.when  Phronsie,  whose  exciting  dreams  of  mamsie  and 
the  boys  wouldn't  let  her  rest  quietly,  woke  up;  and 
in  the  very  first  flash  she  thought  of  her  cushion. 

"  Why,  where  — "    she    said,   in    the    softest  little 


334  F^e   Little  Peppers; 

tones,  only  half  awake,  "  why,  Polly,  where  is  it  ? " 
and  she  began  to  feel  all  around  her  pillow  to  see  if 
it  had  fallen  down  there. 

But  Polly's  brown  head  with  its  crowd  of  anticipa- 
tions and  busy  plans  was  away  off  in  dreamland,  and 
she  breathed  on  and  on  perfectly  motionless. 

"  I  guess  I  better,"  said  Phronsie  to  herself,  now 
thoroughly  awake,  and  sitting  up  in  bed,  "  not  wake 
her  up.  Poor  Polly's  tired ;  I  can  find  it  myself,  I 
know  I  can." 

So  she  slipped  out  of  bed,  and  prowling  around  on 
the  floor,  felt  all  about  for  the  little  cushion. 

w  "Tisn't  here,  oh,  no,  it  isn't,"  she  sighed  at  last, 
and  getting  up,  she  stood  still  a  moment,  lost  in 
thought.  "  Maybe  Jane's  put  it  out  in  the  hall,"  she 
said,  as  a  bright  thought  struck  her.  "  I  can  get  it 
there,"  and  out  she  pattered  over  the  soft  carpet  to 
the  table  at  the  end  of  the  long  hall,  where  Jane 
often  placed  the  children's  playthings  over  night.  As 
she  was  coming  back  after  her  fruitless  search,  she 
stopped  to  peep  over  the  balustrade  down  the  fascinat- 
ing flight  of  stairs,  now  so  long  and  dark.  Just  then 
a  little  faint  ray  of  light  shot  up  from  below,  and  met 
her  eyes. 

"  Why  !  "  she  said  in  gentle  surprise,   "  they're  all 


And  How  They  Grew.  335 

down-stairs  !    I  guess  they're  making  something   for 
mamsie  —  I'm  going  to  see." 

So,  carefully  picking  her  way  over  the  stairs  with 
her  little  bare  feet,  and  holding  on  to  the  balustrade 
at  every  step,  she  went  slowly  down,  guided  by  the 
light,  which,  as  she  neared  the  bottom  of  the  flight, 
she  saw  came  from  the  library  door. 

"  Oh,  isn't  it  funny  ! "  and  she  gave  a  little  happy 
laugh.  "  They  won't  know  I'm  comin'  !  "  and  now 
the  soft  little  feet  went  pattering  over  the  thick  car- 
pet, until  she  stood  just  within  the  door.  There  she 
stopped  perfectly  still. 

Two  dark  figures,  big  and  powerful,  were  bending 
over  something  that  Phronsie  couldn't  see,  between 
the  two  big  windows.  A  lantern  on  the  floor  flung 
its  rays  over  them  as  they  were  busily  occupied  ;  and 
the  firelight  from  the  dying  coals  made  the  whole 
stand  out  distinctly  to  the  gaze  of  the  motionless  little 
figure. 

"  Why !  what  are  you  doing  with  my  grandpa's 
things  ? " 

The  soft,  clear  notes  fell  like  a  thunderbolt  upon 
the  men.  With  a  start  they  brought  themselves  up, 
and  stared  —  only  to  see  a  little  white-robed  figure, 
with  its  astonished  eyes  uplifted  with  childlike,  earn- 
est gaze,  as  she  waited  for  her  answer. 


336  Five  Little  Peppers  ; 

For  an  instant  they  were  powerless  to  move  ;  and 
stood  as  if  frozen  to  the  spot,  till  Phronsie,  moving 
one  step  forward,  piped  forth  : 

"  Naughty  men,  to  touch  my  dear  grandpa's 
things !  " 

With  a  smothered  cry  one  of  them  started  forward 
with  arm  uplifted  ;  but  the  other  sprang  like  a  cat 
and  intercepted  the  blow. 

"  Stop  !  "  was  all  he  said.  A  noise  above  the  stairs 
—  a  rushing  sound  through  the  hall !  Something  will 
save  Phronsie,  for  the  household  is  aroused  !  Th« 
two  men  sprang  through  the  window,  having  no  time 
to  catch  the  lantern  or  their  tools,  as  Polly,  fol- 
lowed by  one  and  another,  rushed  in  and  surrounded 
the  child. 

"  What !  "  gasped  Polly,  and  got  no  further. 

"  STOP,  THIEF  !  "  roared  Mr.  King,  hurrying  over 
the  stairs. 

The  children,  frightened  at  the  strange  noises,  began 
to  cry  and  scream,  as  they  came  running  through  the 
halls  to  the  spot.  Jasper  rushed  for  the  men-ser- 
vants. 

And  there  stood  Phronsie,  surrounded  by  the  pale 
group. 

"  'Twas  two  naughty  men,"  she  said,  lifting  her 
little  face  with  the  grieved,  astonished  look  still  in  the 


"  NAUGHTY     MF.N,   TO    TOUCH     MY   DEAR    GRANDPA'S  THINGS  ! 


And  How    They    Grew.  339 

big  brown  eyes,  "  and  they  were  touching  my  grand- 
pa's things,  Polly  !  " 

"  I  should  think  they  were,"  said  Jasper,  running 
over  amongst  the  few  scattered  tools  and  the  lantern, 
to  the  windows,  where,  on  the  floor,  was  a  large  table 
cover  hastily  caught  up  by  the  corners,  into  which  a 
vast  variety  of  silver,  jewelry,  and  quantities  of  costly 
articles  were  gathered  ready  for  flight.  "  They've 
broken  open  your  safe,  father !  "  he  cried  in  excite- 
ment, "see  !  " 

"  And  they  put  up  their  hand  —  one  man  did,"  went 
on  Phronsie.  "And  the  other  said  '  Stop  ! ' —  oh,  Polly, 
you  hurt  me  !  "  she  cried,  as  Polly,  unable  to  bear  the 
strain  any  longer,  held  her  so  tightly  she  could  hardly 
breathe. 

"  Go  on,"  said  Jasper,  "  how  did  they  look  ?  " 

"  All  black,"  said  the  child,  pushing  back  her  wavy 
hair  and  looking  at  him,  "  very  all  black,  Japser." 

' '  And  their  faces,  Phronsie  ?  "  said  Mr.  King,  get- 
ting down  on  his  old  knees  on  the  floor  beside  her. 
"  Bless  me  !  somebody  else  ask  her,  I  can't  talk  !  " 

"  How  did  their  faces  look,  Phronsie,  dear  ?  "  asked 
Jasper,  taking  one  of  the  cold  hands  in  his.  "  Can't 
you  think  ? " 

"  Oh !  "  said  Phronsie  —  and  then  she  gave  a  funny 


340  Five  Little  Peppers ; 

little  laugh,  "two  big  holes,  Japser,  that's  all  they 
had  !  " 

"  She  means  they  were  masked,"  whispered  Jasper. 

"  What  did  you  get  up  for  ?  "  Mrs.  Whitney  asked. 
"  Dear  child,  what  made  you  get  out  of  bed  ?  " 

"Why,  my  cushion-pin,"  said  Phronsie  looking 
worried  at  once.  "  I  couldn't  find  it,  and  —  " 

But  just  at  this,  without  a  bit  of  warning,  Polly 
tumbled  over  in  a  dead  faint. 

And  then  it  was  all  confusion  again. 

And  so,  on  the  following  afternoon,  it  turned 
out  that  the  Peppers,  about  whose  coming  there  had 
been  so  many  plans  and  expectations,  just  walked  in 
as  if  they  had  always  lived  there.  The  greater  ex- 
citement completely  swallowed  up  the  less ! 


And  How  They  Grew.  341 


CHAPTER   XXIII. 

WHICH    TREATS    OF    A    GOOD    MANY    MATTERS. 

PHOOH  ! "  said  Joel  a  few  mornings  after 
the  emptying  of  the  little  brown  house  into 
the  big  one,  when  he  and  Van  were  rehearsing  for  the 
fiftieth  time  all  the  points  of  the  eventful  night, 
"  phooh !  if  I'd  been  here  they  wouldn't  got  away,  I 
guess ! " 

"  What  would  you  have  done  ?  "  asked  Van,  bris- 
tling up  at  this  reflection  on  their  courage,  and  squar- 
ing up  to  him.  "  What  would  you  have  done,  Joel 
Pepper?" 

"  I'd  a-pitched  right  into  'em — like — everything  !  " 
said  Joel  valiantly  ;  "  and  a-caught  'em  !  Yes,  every 
single  one  of  the  Bunglers  1 " 

"The  what?"  said  Van,  bursting  into  a  loud 
laugh. 

"  The  Bunglers,"  said  Joel  with  a  red  face.    "  That's 


342  Five  Little  Peppers  ; 

what  you  said  they  were,  anyway,"  he   added  posi 
lively. 

"  I  said  Burglars"  said  Van,  doubling  up  with 
amusement,  while  Joel  stood,  a  little  sturdy  figure, 
regarding  him  with  anything  but  a  sweet  counte- 
nance. 

"Well  anyway,  I'd  a-caught  'em,  so  there!"  he 
said,  as  Van  at  last  showed  signs  of  coming  out  of 
his  fit  of  laughter,  and  got  up  and  wiped  his  eyes. 

"  How'd  you  caught  'em  ?  "  asked  Van,  scornfully 
surveying  the  square  little  country  figure  before  him. 
"You  can't  hit  any." 

"Can't?  "said  Joel,  the  black  eyes  flashing  vol- 
umes, and  coming  up  in  front  of  Van.  "  You  better 
believe  I  can,  Van  Whitney  !  " 

"  Come  out  in  the  back  yard  and  try  then,"  said 
Van  hospitably,  perfectly  delighted  at  the  prospect, 
and  flying  along  towards  the  door.  "  Come  right  out 
and  try." 

"  All  right !  "  said  Joel,  following  sturdily,  equally 
delighted  to  show  his  skill. 

"There,"  said  Van,  taking  off  his  jacket,  and 
flinging  it  on  the  grass,  while  Joel  immediately  fol- 
lowed suit  with  his  little  homespun  one.  "  Now  we 
can  begin  perfectly  splendid  !  I  won't  hit  hard,"  he 
added  patronizingly,  as  both  boys  stood  ready. 


And  How   They  Grew.  343 

"  Hit  as  hard  as  you've  a-mind  too,"  said  Joel, 
"  I'm  a-going  to." 

"  Oh,  you  may,"  said  Van  politely,  "  because  you're 
company.  All  right  —  now  !  " 


.  _ 

I 

JOEL  SHOWS  WHAT   HE   WOULD   DO  TO   A   BURGLAR. 

So  at  it  they  went.  Before  very  many  minutes 
were  over,  Van  relinquished  all  ideas  of  treating  his 
company  with  extra  consideration,  and  was  only 
thinking  how  he  could  possibly  hold  his  own  with  the 
valiant  little  country  lad.  Oh,  if  he  could  only  be 
called  to  his  lessons — anything  that  would  summon 


344  &™  Little  Peppers  ; 

him  into  the  house !  Just  then  a  window  above  their 
heads  was  suddenly  thrown  up,  and  his  mamma's 
voice  in  natural  surprise  and  distress  called  quickly : 
"  Children  what  are  you  doing  ?  Oh,  Van,  how  could 
you !  " 

Both  contestants  turned  around  suddenly.  Joel 
looked  up  steadily.  "We're  a-hitting,  ma'am  ;  he 
said  I  couldn't,  and  so  we  came  out  and  —  " 

"Oh,  Vanny,"  said  Mrs.  Whitney  reproachfully, 
"  to  treat  a  little  guest  in  this  way !  " 

"  I  wanted  to,"  said  Joel  cheerfully;  "'twas  great 
fun.  Let's  begin  again,  Van  !  " 

"  We  mustn't,"  said  Van,  readily  giving  up  the 
charming  prospect,  and  beginning  to  edge  quickly 
towards  the  house.  "  Mamma  wouldn't  like  it  you 
know.  He  hits  splendidly,  mamma,"  he  added  gen- 
erously, looking  up.  "  He  does  really." 

"And  so  does  Van,"  cried  Joel,  his  face  glowing  at 
the  praise.  "  We'll  come  out  every  day,"  he  added 
slipping  into  his  jacket,  and  turning  enthusiastically 
back  to  Van. 

"And  perhaps  he  could  have  pitched  into  the 
Burglars,"  finished  Van,  ignoring  the  invitation, 
and  tumbling  into  his  jacket  with  alarming  speed. 

"  I  know  I  could  !  "  cried  Joel,  scampering  after 
b'm  into  the  house.  "  If  I'd  only  a-been  here !  " 


And  How  They  Grew.  345 

"  Where's  Ben  ? "  said  Van,  bounding  into  the  hall, 
and  flinging  himself  down  on  one  of  the  chairs.  "  Oh 
dear,  I'm  so  hot !  Say,  Joe,  where  do  you  s'pose  Ben 
is  ? " 

"  I  don't  know,"  replied  Joel,  who  didn't  even  puff. 

"  I  saw  him  a  little  while  ago  with  master  Percy," 
said  Jane,  who  was  going  through  the  hall. 

"  There  now !  and  they've  gone  off  somewhere," 
cried  Van  in  extreme  irritation,  and  starting  up 
quickly.  "  I  know  they  have.  Which  way  did  they 
go,  Jane  ?  And  how  long  ago  ? " 

"  Oh,  I  don't  know,"  replied  Jane  carelessly,  "  half 
an  hour  maybe ;  and  they  didn't  go  nowhere  as  I  see, 
at  least  they  were  talking  at  the  door,  and  I  was 
going  up-stairs." 

"  Right  here  ?  "  cried  Van,  and  stamping  with  his 
foot  to  point  out  the  exact  place ;  "  at  this  door, 
Jane?" 

"  Yes,  yes,"  said  Jane  ;  "  at  that  very  door,"  and 
then  she  went  into  the  dining-room  to  her  work. 

"  Oh  dear  me ! "  cried  Van,  and  flying  out  on  the 
veranda,  he  began  to  peer  wildly  up  and  down  the 
drive.  "  And  they've  gone  to  some  splendid  place, 
I  know,  and  wouldn't  tell  us.  That's  just  like 
Percy ! "  he  added  vindictively,  "  he's  always  steal- 


346  Five  Little  Peppers ; 

ing  away  !  don't  you  see  'em,  Joel  ?  oh,  do  come  out 
and  look  !  " 

"Tisn't  any  use,"  said  Joel  coolly,  sitting  down  on 
the  chair  Van  had  just  vacated,  and  swinging  his  feet 
comfortably ;  "  they're  miles  away  if  they've  been 
gone  half  an  hour.  Fm  goin'  up-stairs,"  and  he 
sprang  up,  and  energetically  pranced  to  the  stairs. 

"  They  aren't  up  stairs  !  "  screamed  Van,  in  scorn, 
bounding  into  the  hall.  "  Don't  go ;  I  know  that 
they've  gone  down  to  the  museum  !  " 

"  The  what  ?  "  exclaimed  Joel,  nearly  at  the  top, 
peering  over  the  railing.  "What's  that  -you  said  — 
what  is  it  ?  " 

"  A  museum"  shouted  Van,  "  and  it's  a  perfectly 
elegant  place ,  Joel  Pepper,  and  Percy  knows  I  like  to 
go ;  and  now  he's  taken  Ben  off ;  and  he'll  show  him 
all  the  things !  and  they'll  all  be  old  when  /  take 
him  —  and — and  —  oh!  I  hope  the  snakes  will  bite 
him !  "  he  added,  trying  to  think  of  something  bad 
enough. 

"  Do  they  have  snakes  there  ? "  asked  Joel,  star- 
ing. 

"  Yes,  they  do"  snapped  out  Van.  "  They  have 
everything  !  " 

"  Well,  they  shan't  bite  Ben!"  cried  Joel  in  terror. 
"Oh!  do  you  suppose  they  will?"  and  he  turned 


And  How  They  Grew.  347 

right  straight  around  on  the  stairs,  and  looked  at 
Van. 

"  No,"  said  Van,  "  they  won't  bite  —  what's  the 
matter,  Joe  ? " 

"Oh,  they  may,"  said  Joel,  his  face  working,  and 
screwing  both  fists  into  his  eyes  ;  at  last  he  burst 
right  out  into  a  torrent  of  sobs.  "  Oh,  don't  let  'em 
Van  —  don't/" 

"  Why,  they  can't,"  said  Van  in  an  emphatic  voice, 
running  up  the  stairs  to  Joel's  side,  frightened  to 
death  at  his  tears.  Then  he  began  to  shake  his 
jacket  sleeve  violently  to  bring  him  back  to  reason. 
"  Wait  Joe  !  oh,  do  stop  !  oh,  dear,  what  shall  I  do  ! 
I  tell  you,  they  can't  bite,"  he  screamed  as  loud  as  he 
could  into  his  ear. 

"  You  said  — you  —  hoped  —  they  —  would,"  — 
said  Joel's  voice  in  smothered  tones. 

"Well,  they  won't  anyway,"  said  Van  decidedly. 
"  'Cause  they're  all  stuffed  —  so  there  now  ! " 

"Ain't  they  alive  —  nor  anythin' ?  "  askecl  Joel, 
bringing  one  black  eye  into  sight  from  behind  his 
chubby  hands. 

"  No,"  said  Van,  "  they're  just  as  dead  as  anything, 
Joel  Pepper  —  been  dead  years !  and  there's  old 
crabs  there  too,  old  dead  crabs  —  and  they're  just 
lovely  !  Oh,  such  a  lots  of  eggs  as  they've  got  1  And 


348  Five  Little  Peppers; 

there  are  shells  and  bugs  and  stones  —  and  an  awfu 
old  crocodile,  and  " 

"  Oh,  dear  !  "  sighed  Joel,  perfectly  overcome  at 
such  a  vision,  and  sitting  down  on  the  stairs  to  think. 
"Well,  mamsie'll  know  where  Ben  is,"  he  said, 
springing  up.  "  And  then  I  tell  you  Van,  we'll  just 
tag  ?em  !  " 

"  So  she  will,"  cried  Van.  "  Why  didn't  we  think 
of  that  before  ?  I  wanted  to  think." 

"I  did,"  said  Joel.  "That  was  where  I  was 
goin'." 

Without  any  more  ado  they  rushed  into  Mrs.  Pep- 
per's big,  sunny  room,  there  to  see,  seated  at  the 
square  table  between  the  two  large  windows,  the  two 
lost  ones  bending  over  what  seemed  to  be  an  object 
of  the  greatest  importance,  for  Polly  was  hanging 
over  Ben's  shoulder  with  intense  pride  and  delight, 
which  she  couldn't  possibly  conceal,  and  Davie  was 
crowded  as  near  as  he  could  get  to  Percy's  elbow. 

Phronsie  and  little  Dick  were  perched  comfortably 
on  the  corner  of  the  table,  surveying  the  whole  scene 
in  quiet  rapture  ;  and  Mrs.  Pepper  with  her  big  mend- 
ing basket,  was  ensconced  over  by  the  deep  window 
seat  just  on  the  other  side  of  the  room,  underneath 
Cherry's  cage,  and  looking  up  between  quick  energetic 


And  How  They  Grew.  349 

stitches,  over  at  the  busy  group,  with  the  most  placid 
expression  on  her  face. 

"  Oh  !  —  what  you  doin'  ?  "  cried  Joel,  flying  up  to 
them.  "  Let  us  see,  do  Ben  !  " 

"  What  is  it  ?  "  exclaimed  Van,  squeezing  in  be- 
tween Percy  and  Ben. 

"  Don't "  -  —  began  Percy.  "  There,  see,  you've 
knocked  his  elbow  and  spoilt  it !  " 

"Oh  no,  he  hasn't,"  said  Ben,  putting  down  his 
pencil,  and  taking  up  a  piece  of  rubber.  "There, 
see  it  all  comes  out  — as  good  as  ever." 

"Isn't  it  just  elegant  1"  said  Percy  in  the  most 
pleased  tone,  and  wriggling  his  toes  under  the  table 
to  express  his  satisfaction. 

"  Yes,"  said  Van,  craning  his  neck  to  get  a  better 
view  of  the  picture,  now  nearly  completed,  "  it's  per- 
fectly splendid.  How'd  you  do  it,  Ben  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know,"  replied  Ben  with  a  smile,  carefully 
shading  in  a  few  last  touches.  "  It  just  drew  it- 
self." 

"  'Tisn't  anything  to  what  he  can  do,"  said  Polly, 
standing  up  as  tall  as  she  could,  and  beaming  at  Ben, 
"  He  used  to  draw  most  beautiful  at  home." 

"  Better  than  this  ?  "  asked  Van,  with  great  respect 
and  taking  up  the  picture,  after  some  demur  on  Per 


35°  Five  Little  Peppers; 

cy's  part,  and  examining  it  critically.  "  I  don't 
believe  it,  Polly." 

"  Phooh ;  he  did  ! "  exclaimed  Joel,  looking  over 
his  shoulder  at  a  wonderful  view  of  a  dog  in  an  ex- 
tremely excited  state  of  mind  running  down  an 
interminable  hill  to  bark  at  a  locomotive  and  train 
of  cars  whizzing  along  a  curve  in  the  foreground. 
Lots  better'n  that !  Ben  can  do  anything ! "  he 
added,  in  an  utterly  convincing  way. 

"  Now  give  it  back,"  cried  Percy,  holding  out  his 
hand  in  alarm.  "I'm  going  to  ask  mamma  to  have 
it  framed ;  and  then  I'm  going  to  hang  it  right  over 
my  bed,"  he  finished,  as  Van  relucantly  gave  up  the 
treasure. 

"  Did  you  draw  all  the  time  in  the  little  brown 
house?"  asked  Van,  lost  in  thought.  "  How  I  wish 
I'd  been  there  ! " 

"  Dear,  no ! "  cried  Polly  with  a  little  skip,  turn- 
ing away  to  laugh.  "He  didn't  have  hardly  any 
time,  and  " 

"  Why  not  ?  "  asked  Percy. 

"  Cause  there  was  things  to  do"  said  Polly.  "  But 
sometimes  when  it  rained,  and  he  couldn't  go  out  and 
work,  and  there  wasn't  anything  to  do  in  the  house — 
then  we'd  have oh  ! "  and  she  drew  a  long 


And   How    They    Grew.  351 

breath  at  the  memory,  "such  a  time,  you  can't 
think  !  " 

"  Didn't  you  wish  it  would  always  rain  ?  "  asked 
Van,  still  gazing  at  the  picture. 

"  Dear,  no  !  "  began  Polly. 

"  I  didn't,"  broke  in  Joel,  in  horror.  "I  wouldn't 

a-had  it  rain  for  anything  ! only  once  in  a  while," 

he  added,  as  he  thought  of  the  good  times  that  Polly 
had  spoken  of. 

"  'Twas  nice  outdoors,"  said  little  Davie,  reflec- 
tively ;  "  and  nice  inside,  too."  And  then  he  glanced 
over  to  his  mother,  who  gave  him  a  smile  in  return. 
"  And  'twas  nice  always." 

"  Well,"  said  Van,  returning  to  the  picture,  "  I  do 
wish  you'd  tell  me  how  to  draw,  Ben.  I  can't  do 
anything  but  flowers,"  he  said  in  a  discouraged 
way. 

41  Flowers  aren't  anything,"  said  Percy,  pleasantly. 
"  That's  girl's  work ;  but  dogs  and  horses  and 
cars — those  are  \us>\.goodl" 

"  Will  you,  Ben  ?  "  asked  Van,  looking  down  into 
the  big  blue  eyes,  so  kindly  turned  up  to  his. 

"  Yes,  indeed\  will,"  cried  Ben,  "  that  is,  all  I  know  j 
'tisn't  much,  but  everything  I  can,  I'll  tell  you." 

"  Then  I  can    learn,  can't   I  ? "  cried  Van  joyfully. 


352  Five  Little  Peppers', 

"  Oh,  tell  me  too,  Ben,"  cried  Percy,  "  will  you? 
I  want  to  learn  too." 

"  And  me  !  "  cried  Dick,  bending  forward,  nearly 
upsetting  Phronsie  as  he  did  so.  "  Yes,  say  I  may, 
Ben,  do!" 

"  You're  too  little,"  began  Percy.  But  Ben  nodded 
his  head  at  Dick,  which  caused  him  to  clap  his  hands 
and  return  to  his  original  position,  satisfied. 

"  Well,  I  guess  we're  going  to,  too"  said  Joel. 
"  Dave  an'  me ;  there  isn't  anybody  goin'  to  learn 
without  us." 

"  Of  course  not,"  said  Polly,  "  Ben  wouldn't  leave 
you  out,  Joey." 

Phronsie  sat  quite  still  all  this  time,  on  the  corner 
of  the  table,  her  feet  tucked  up  under  her,  and  her 
hands  clasped  in  her  lap,  and  never  said  a  word. 
But  Ben  looking  up,  saw  the  most  grieved  expression 
settling  on  her  face,  as  the  large  eyes  were  fixed  in 
wonder  on  the  faces  before  her. 

"  And  there's  my  pet,"  he  cried  in  enthusiasm,  and 
reaching  over  the  table,  he  caught  hold  of  one  of  the 
little  fat  hands.  "  Why  we  couldn't  think  of  getting 
along  without  her  I  She  shall  learn  to  draw  —  she 
shall! " 

"Really,  Bensie  ?  "  said  Phronsie, the  sunlight  break- 
ing all  over  the  gloomy  little  visage,  and  setting  the 


And  How  They  Grew.  355 

brown  eyes  to  dancing.  "  Real,  true,  splendid  pic- 
tures ? " 

"  Yes,  the  splendidest,"  said  Ben,  "  the  very  splen- 
didest  pictures,  Phronsie  Pepper,  you  ever  saw ! " 

"  Oh  !  "  cried  Phronsie  ;  and  before  any  one  knew 
what  she  was  about,  she  tripped  right  into  the  middla 
of  the  table,  over  the  papers  and  everything,  and  gave 
a  happy  little  whirl ! 

"  Dear  me,  Phronsie  !  "  cried  Polly  catching  her  up 
and  hugging  her;  "you  mustn't  dance  on  the  table." 

"I'm  going  to  learn,"  said  Phronsie,  coming  out 
of  Polly's  embrace,  "  to  draw  whole  pictures,  all  alone 
by  myself  — •  Ben  said  so ! " 

"  I  know  it,"  said  Polly,  "  and  then  you  shall  draw 
one  for  mamsie  — you  shall !  " 

"I  will,"  said  Phronsie,  dreadfully  excited;  "I'll 
draw  her  a  cow,  and  two  chickens,  Polly,  just  like 
Grandma  Bascom's  !  " 

"  Yes,"  whispered  Polly,  "  but  don't  you  tell  her 
yet  till  you  get  it  done,  Phronsie." 

"  I  won't,"  said  Phronsie  in  the  loudest  of  tones  — 
but  putting  her  mouth  close  to  Polly's  ear.  "  And 
then  she'll  be  so  s'prised,  Polly  !  wont  she  ?  " 

Just  then  came  Jasper's  voice  at  the  door.  "  Can 
I  come  in  ?  " 

"  Oh,  do,  Jappy,"  cried    Polly,  rushing  along  with 


35  6  Five  Little  Peppers  ; 

Phronsie  in  her  arms  to  open  the  door.  "  We're  so 
glad  you've  got  home  !  " 

"  So  am  I,"  said  Jasper,  coming  in,  his  face  flushed 
and  his  eyes  sparkling;  "I  thought  father  never 
would  be  through  down  town,  Polly  1 " 

"  We're  going  to  learn  to  draw,"  said  Percy,  over 
by  the  table,  who  wouldn't  on  any  account  leave  his 
seat  by  Ben,  though  he  was  awfully  tired  of  sitting 
still  so  long,  for  fear  somebody  else  would  hop  into 
it.  "  Ben's  going  to  teach  us." 

"Yes,  he  is,"  put  in  Van,  bounding  up  to  Jasper 
and  pulling  at  all  the  buttons  on  his  jacket  he  cdUld 
reach,  to  command  attention. 

"  And  us,"  said  Joel,  coming  up  too.  "  You  forgot 
us,  Van." 

"  The  whole  of  us  —  every  single  one  in  this  room," 
said  Van  decidedly,  "  all  except  Mrs.  Pepper." 

"  Hulloa  !  "  said  Jasper,  "  that  is  a  class  !  Well, 
Professor  Ben,  you've  got  to  teach  me  then,  for  I'm 
coming  too." 

"  You?"  said  Ben,  turning  around  his  chair,  and 
looking  at  him  ;  "  I  can't  teach  you  anything,  Jappy. 
You  know  everything  already  "  — 

"  Let  him  come,  anyway,"  said  Polly,  hopping  up 
and  down. 

"  Oh,  I'm   coming,    Professor,"   laughed    Jasper. 


And  How  They  Grew.  357 

"  Never  you  fear,  Polly  ;  I'll  be  on  hand  when  the 
rest  of  the  class  comes  in  !  " 

"And  Van,"  said  Mrs.  Pepper,  pausing  a  minute 
in  her  work,  and  smiling  over  at  him  in  a  lull  in  the 
chatter — "  I  think  flowers  are  most  beautiful !  "  and 
she  pointed  to  a  little  framed  picture  on  the  mantel, 
of  the  bunch  of  buttercups  and  one  huge  rose  that 
Van  had  with  infinite  patience  drawn,  and  then  col- 
ored to  suit  his  fancy. 

"  Do  you?"  cried  Van,  perfectly  delighted  ;  and 
leaving  the  group  he  rushed  up  to  her  side.  "  Do 
you  really  think  they're  nice,  Mrs.  Pepper  ? " 

"  Of  course  I  do,"  said  Mrs.  Pepper  briskly,  and 
beaming  on  him  ;  "  I  think  everything  of  them,  and 
I  shall  keep  them  as  long  as  I  live,  Van  !  " 

"  Well,  then,"  said  Van,  very  much  pleased,  "  I 
shall  paint  you  ever  so  many  more  —  just  as  many 
as  you  want !  " 

"  Do !  "  said  Mrs.  Pepper,  taking  up  her  work 
again.  "  And  I'll  hang  them  every  one  up." 

"  Yes,  I  will,"  said  Van ;  "  and  I'll  go  right  to 
work  on  one  to-morrow.  What  you  mending  our 
jackets  for  ? "  he  asked  abruptly  as  a  familiar  hole 
caught  his  attention. 

"  Because  they're  torn,"  said  Mrs.  Pepper  cheer- 
fully, "  an'  they  won't  mend  themselves." 


358  Five  Li+tle  Peppers; 

"  Why  don't  you  let  Jane  ?  "  he  persisted.  "  She 
always  does  them." 

"  Jane's  got  enough  to  do,"  replied  Mrs.  Pepper, 
smiling  away  as  hard  as  she  could,  "  and  I  haven't, 
so  I'm  going  to  look  around  and  pick  up  something 
to  keep  my  hands  out  of  mischief  as  much  as  I  can, 
while  I'm  here." 

"  Do  you  ever  get  into  mischief  ?  "  asked  little 
Dick,  coming  up  and  looking  into  Mrs.  Pepper's 
face  wonderingly.  "  Why,  you're  a  big  woman  !  " 

"  Dear  me,  yes ! "  said  Mrs.  Pepper.  "  The  big- 
ger you  are,  the  more  mischief  you  can  get  into. 
You'll  find  that  out,  Dickey." 

"  And  then  do  you  have  to  stand  in  a  corner  ?  " 
asked  Dick,  determined  to  find  out  just  what  were 
the  consequences,  and  reverting  to  his  most  dreaded 
punishment. 

"  No,"  said  Mrs.  Pepper  laughing.  "  Corners  are 
for  little  folks  ;  but  when  people  who  know  better, 
do  wrong,  there  aren't  any  corners  they  can  creep 
into,  or  they'd  get  into  them  pretty  quick  !  " 

"  I  wish,"  said  little  Dick,  "  you'd  let  me  get 
into  your  lap.  That  would  be  a  nice  corner  !  " 

"  Do,  mamsie,"  said  Polly,  coming  up,  "  that's  just 
the  way  I  used  to  feel ;  and  I'll  finish  the  mending." 

So  Mrs.  Pepper  put  down  her  work,  and  moved 


And  How  77icy  Grew.  359 

the  big  basket  for  little  Dick  to  clamber  up,  when 
he  laid  his  head  contentedly  back  in  her  motherly 
arms  with  a  sigh  of  happiness.  Phronsie  regarded 
him  with  a  very  grave  expression.  At  last  she  drew 
near :  "  I'm  tired  ;  do,  mamsie,  take  me  !  " 

"  So  mamsie  will,"  said  Mrs.  Pepper,  opening  her 
arms,  when  Phronsie  immediately  crawled  up  into 
their  protecting  shelter,  with  a  happy  little  crow. 

"Oh,  now,  tell  us  a  story,  Mrs.  Pepper,"  cried 
Van  ;  "please,  please  do  !  " 

"No,  no ;"  exclaimed  Percy,  scuttling  out  of  his 
chair,  and  coming  up,  "let's  talk  of  the  little  brown 
house.  Do  tell  us  what  you  used  to  do  there  — 
that's  best." 

"  So 'tis !"  cried  Van;  "ALL  the  nice  times  you 
used  to  have  in  it !  Wait  just  a  minute,  do."  And 
he  ran  back  for  a  cricket  which  he  placed  at  Mrs. 
Pepper's  feet ;  and  then  sitting  down  on  it,  he  leaned 
on  her  comfortable  lap,  in  order  to  hear  better. 

"  Wait  for  me  too,  till  I  get  a  chair,"  called  Percy, 
starting.  "  Don't  begin  till  I  get  there." 

"  Here,  let  me,  Percy,"  said  Ben  ;  and  he  drew 
forward  a  big  easy-chair  that  the  boy  was  tugging  at 
with  all  his  might. 

"  Now  7'm  ready,  too,"  said  Polly,  setting  small 
finishing  stitches  quickly  with  a  merry  little  flourish, 


360  Fi^<:  Little  Peppers; 

and  drawing  her  chair  nearer  her  mother's  as  she 
spoke. 

"Now  begin,  please,"  said  Van,  "all  the  nice  times 
you  know." 

"  She  couldn't  tell  all  the  nice  times  if  she  had 
ten  years  to  tell  them  in,  could  she,  Polly  ? "  said 
Jasper. 

"  Well,  in  the  first  place  then,"  said  Mrs.  Pepper, 
clearing  her  throat,  "  the  little  brown  house  had  got 
to  be,  you  know,  so  we  made  up  our  minds  to  make  it 
just  the  nicest  brown  house  that  ever  was  !  " 

"  And  it  was  !  "  declared  Jasper,  with  an  emphatic 
ring  to  his  voice.  "  The  very  nicest  place  in  the  whole 
world!" 

"  Oh  dear,"  broke  in  Van  enviously ;  "  Jappy's 
always  said  so.  I  wish  we'd  been  there,  too  !  " 

"We  didn't  want  anybody  but  Jappy,"  said  Joel 
not  very  politely. 

"  Oh  Joey,  for  shame  !  "  cried  Polly. 

"Jappy  used  to  bake,"  cried  little  Davie  ;  "an'  we 
all  made  pies  ;  an'  then  we  sat  round  an'  ate  'em, 
an'  then  told  stories." 

"  Oh  what  fun  !  "  cried  Percy.     "  Do  tell  us  !  " 

So  the  five  little  Peppers  and  Jasper  flew  off  into 
reminiscences  and  accounts  of  the  funny  doings, 
and  Mrs.  Pepper  joined  in  heartily  till  the  room 


And  How    They   Grew.  361 

got  very  merry  with  the  glee  and  enthusiasm  called 
forth  ;  so  much  so,  that  nobody  heard  Mrs.  Whitney 
knock  gently  at  the  door,  and  nobody  answering,  she 
was  obliged  to  come  in  by  herself. 

"Well,  well,"  she  cried,  merrily,  looking  at  the 
swarm  of  little  ones  around  Mrs.  Pepper  and  the  big 
chair.  "  You  are  having  a  nice  time  !  May  I  come 
and  listen  ?  " 

"  Oh,  if  you  will,  sister/'  cried  Jasper,  springing  off 
from  his  arm  of  the  chair,  while  Ben  flew  from  the 
other  side,  to  hurry  and  get  her  a  chair. 

Percy  and  Van  rushed  too,  knocking  over  so  many 
things  that  they  didn't  help  much  ;  and  little  Dick 
poked  his  head  out  from  Mrs.  Pepper's  arms  when 
he  saw  his  mamma  sitting  down  to  stay  and  began 
to  scramble  down  to  get  into  her  lap. 

"  There  now,"  said  Mrs.  Whitney,  smiling  over  at 
Mrs.  Pepper  who  was  smiling  at  her.  "  You  have 
your  baby,  and  I  have  mine  !  Now  children,  what's 
it  all  about  ?  What  has  Mrs.  Pepper  been  telling 
you  ?  " 

"  Oh,  the  little  brown  house,"  cried  Dicky,  his 
cheeks  all  a-flame.  "  The  dearest  little  house 
mamma  !  I  wish  I  could  live  in  one  !  " 

"  'Twouldn't  be  the  same  without  the  Peppers  in 
it,"  said  Jasper.  "  Not  a  bit  of  it !  " 


362  Five  Little  Peppers; 

"  And  they  had  such  perfectly  elegant  times,"  cried 
Percy,  enviously,  drawing  up  to  her  side.  "  Oh,  you 
can't  think,  mamma  !  " 

"  Well  now,"  said  his  mamma,  "  do  go  on,  and  let 
me  hear  some  of  the  nice  times." 

So  away  they  launched  again,  and  Mrs.  Whitney 
was  soon  enjoying  it  as  hugely  as  the  children,  when 
a  heavy  step  sounded  in  the  middle  of  the  room, 
and  a  voice  spoke  in  such  a  tone  that  everybody 
skipped. 

"  Well,  I  should  like  to  know  what  all  this  means  ! 
I've  been  all  over  the  house,  and  not  a  trace  of  any- 
body could  I  find." 

"  Oh  father !  "  cried  Mrs.  Whitney.  "  Van,  dear, 
get  up  and  get  grandpapa  a  chair." 

"  No,  no  !"  said  the  old  gentleman,  waving  him  off 
impatiently.  "  I'm  not  going  to  stay ;  I  must  go  and 
lie  down.  My  head  is  in  a  bad  condition  to-day  ; 
very  bad  indeed,"  he  added. 

"  Oh !  "  said  Phronsie,  popping  up  her  head  and 
looking  at  him.  "  I  must  get  right  down." 

"What's  the  matter,  Phronsie?"  asked  Mrs.  Pep- 
per, trying  to  hold  her  back. 

"Oh,  but  I  mus/,"  said  Phronsie,  energetically 
wriggling.  "  My  poor  sick  man  wants  me,  he  does" 
And  flying  out  of  her  mother's  arms,  she  ran  up  to 


And  How  They  Grew.  365 

Mr.  King,  and  standing  on  tiptoe,  said  softly,  "I'll 
rub  your  head,  grandpa  dear,  poor  sick  man  ;  yes  I 
will." 

"And you're  the  best  child,"  cried  the  old  gentle- 
man, catching  her  up  and  marching  over  to  the  other 
side  of  the  room  where  there  was  a  lounging  chair. 
"  There  now,  you  and  I,  Phronsie,  will  stay  by  our- 
selves. Then  my  head  will  feel  better." 

And  he  sat  down  and  drew  her  into  his  arms. 

"Does  it  ache  very  bad  ? '  said  Phronsie,  in  a  soft 
little  voice.  Then  reaching  up  she  began  to  pat 
and  smooth  it  gently  with  one  little  hand,  "  Very 
bad,  dear  grandpa  ?  " 

"  It  wont,"  said  the  old  gentleman,  "if  you  only 
keep  on  taking  care  of  it,  little  Phronsie." 

"Then,"  said  the  child,  perfectly  delighted,  "  I'm 
going  to  take  all  care  of  you,  grandpa,  always  !  " 

'•  So  you  shall,  so  you  shall !  "  cried  Mr.  King,  no 
less  delighted  than  she  was.  "  Mrs.  Pepper  ! " 

"  Sir  ?  "  said  Mrs.  Pepper,  trying  to  answer,  which 
she  couldn't  do  very  well  surrounded  as  she  was  by 
the  crowd  of  little  chatterers.  "Yes,  sir;  excuse  me 
what  is  it,  sir  ?  " 

"  We've  got  to  come  to  an  understanding  about 
this  thing,"  said  the  old  gentleman,  "  and  I  can't  talk 


366  Five  Little  Peppers  ; 

much  to-day,  because  my  head  ache  won't  allow  it." 

Here  the  worried  look  came  into  Phronsie's  face 
again ,  and  she  began  to  try  to  smooth  his  head 
with  both  little  hands. 

"  And  so  I  must  say  it  all  in  as  few  words  as  pos- 
sible," he  continued. 

"What  is  it,  sir?"  again  asked  Mrs.  Pepper,  won- 
deringly. 

"Well,  the  fact  is,  I've  got  to  have  somebody 
who  will  keep  this  house.  Now  Marian,  not  a  word  !  " 
as  he  saw  symptoms  of  Mrs.  Whitney's  joining  in  the 
conversation.  "You've  been  good  ;  just  as  good  as 
can  be  under  the  circumstances  ;  but  Mason  will  be 
home  in  the  fall,  and  then  I  suppose  you'll  have  to 
go  with  him.  Now  /,"  said  the  old  gentleman,  for- 
getting all  about  his  head,  and  straightening  himself 
up  suddenly  in  the  chair,  "  am  going  to  get  things  in- 
to shape,  so  that  the  house  will  be  kept  for  all  of 
us ;  so  that  we  can  come  or  go.  And  how  can  I  do  it 
better  than  to  have  the  Peppers  —  you,  Mrs.  Pepper, 
and  all  your  children  —  come  here  and  live,  and  " — 

"  Oh,  father  ! "  cried  Jasper,  rushing  up  to  him  : 
and  flinging  his  arms  around  his  neck,  he  gave  him 
such  a  hug  as  he  hadn't  received  for  many  a  day. 

"  Goodness,    Jasper  !  "     cried   his   father,    feeling 


And  How  They  Grew.  367 

of  his  throat.  "  How  can  you  express  your  feelings 
so  violently !  And,  besides,  you  interrupt." 

"  Beg  pardon,  sir,"  said  Jasper,  swallowing  his 
excitement,  and  trying  to  control  his  eagerness. 

"  Do  you  say  yes,  Mrs.  Pepper  ?  "  queried  the  old 
gentleman  impatiently.  "  I  must  get  this  thing  fixed 
up  to-day.  I'm  really  too  ill  to  be  worried  ma'am." 

"Why  sir,"  stammered  Mrs.  Pepper,  "I  don't 
know  what  to  say.  I  couldn't  think  of  imposing  all 
my  children  on  you,  and  " • 

"  Imposing/  Who's  talking  of  imposing!"  said 
Mr.  King  in  a  loud  key.  "  I  want  my  house  kept ; 
will  you  live  here  and  keep  it  ?  That  is  the  ques- 
tion." 

"But  sir,"  began  Mrs.  Pepper  again,  "you  don't 
think  " 

u  I  do  think  ;  I  tell  you,  ma'am,  I  do  think,"  snap- 
ped the  old  gentleman.  "  It's  just  because  1  have 
thought  that  I've  made  up  my  mind.  Will  you  do  it 
Mrs.  Pepper  ?  " 

"  What  you  goin'  to  do,  rnamsie  ? "  asked  Joel 
quickly. 

"  I  don't  know  as  I'm  going  to  do  anything  yet," 
said  poor  Mrs.  Pepper,  who  was  almost  stunned. 

"  To  come   here  and  live  !  "  cried  Jasper,  unable 


368  Five  Little  Peppers; 

to  keep  still  any  longer  —  and  springing  to  the 
children.  "  Don't  you  want  to,  Joe  ?  " 

"To  /«/*/"  screamed  Joel.  "  Oh  whickety,  yes! 
"  Do  ma,  do  come  here  and  live  —  do !  " 

"  To  live?"  echoed  Phronsie,  over  in  the  old 
gentleman's  lap.  "  In  this  be-^oMl-ful  place  ? 
Oh,  oh  /  " 

"  Oh,  mamsie/"  that  was  all  Polly  could  say. 

And  even  Ben  had  his  arms  around  his  mother's 
neck,  whispering  "Do"  into  her  ear,  while  little 
Davie  got  into  her  lap  and  teased  her  with  all  his 
might. 

"What  shall  I  do  !  "  cried  the  poor  woman.  "  Did 
ever  anybody  see  the  like  ?  " 

"  It's  the  very  best  thing  you  could  possibly  do," 
cried  the  old  gentleman.  "  Don't  you  see  it's  for 
the  children's  advantage  ?  They'll  get  such  educa- 
tions, Mrs.  Pepper,  as  you  want  for  them.  And  it 
accommodates  me  immensely.  What  obstacle  can 
there  be  to  it  ?  " 

"  If  I  was  only  sure  t'was  best  ?  "  said  Mrs.  Pep- 
per doubtfully. 

"  Oh,  dear  Mrs.  Pepper,"  said  Mrs.  Whitney,  lay- 
ing her  hand  on  hers.  "  Can  you  doubt  it  ?  " 

"  Then,"    said    Mr.    King,    getting    up,    but    still 


Ana  How  They  Grew.  3<>9 

holding  on  to  Phronsie,  "we'll  consider  it  settled. 
This  is  your  home,  children,"  he  said,  waving  his 
hand  at  the  five  little  Peppers  in  a  bunch.  And  hav- 
ing thus  summarily  disposed  of  the  whole  business, 
he  marched  out  with  Phronsie  on  his  shoulder. 


370  Five  Little  Peppers; 


CHAPTER   XXIV. 
POLLY'S  DISMAL  MORNING. 

EVERYTHING  had  gone  wrong  with  Polly  thac 
day.  It  began  with  her  boots. 
Of  all  things  in  the  world  that  tried  Polly's  pa- 
tience most  were  the  troublesome  little  black  but- 
tons that  originally  adorned  those  useful  parts  of  her 
clothing,  and  that  were  fondly  supposed  to  be  there 
when  needed.  But  they  never  were.  The  little 
black  things  seemed  to  be  invested  with  a  special 
spite,  for  one  by  one  they  would  hop  off  on  the  slight- 
est provocation,  and  go  rolling  over  the  floor,  just 
when  she  was  in  her  most  terrible  hurry,  compelling 
her  to  fly  for  needle  and  thread  on  the  instant.  For 
one  thing  Mrs.  Pepper  was  very  strict  about  —  and 
that  was,  Polly  should  do  nothing  else  till  the  but- 
tons were  all  on  again,  and  the  boots  buttoned  up 
firm  and  snug. 


And  How  They  Grew.  371 

"  Oh  dear !  "  said  Polly,  sitting  down  on  the  floor, 
and  pulling  on  her  stockings.  "  There  now,  see  that 
hateful  old  shoe,  mamsie  !  "  And  she  thrust  out  one 
foot  in  dismay. 

"  What's  the  matter  with  it  ?  "  said  Mrs.  Pepper 
straightening  the  things  on  the  bureau.  "You  haven't 
worn  it  out  already,  Polly  ?  " 

"Oh  no,"  said  Polly,  with  a  little  laugh.  "  I  hope 
not  yet,  but  it's  these  dreadful  hateful  old  buttons  ! " 
And  she  twitched  the  boot  off  from  her  foot  with 
such  an  impatient  little  pull,  that  three  or  four  more 
went  flying  under  the  bed.  "  There  now  —  there's  a 
lot  more.  I  don't  care !  I  wish  they'd  all  go  ,  they 
might  as  well !  "  she  cried,  tossing  that  boot  on  the 
floor  in  intense  scorn,  while  she  investigated  the 
state  of  the  other  one. 

"Are  they  all  off  ?"  asked  Phronsie,  pulling  her- 
self up  out  of  a  little  heap  in  the  middle  of  the  bed, 
and  leaning  over  the  side,  where  she  viewed  Polly 
sorrowfully.  "  Every  one,  Polly  ?  " 

"No,"  said  Polly,  "but  I  wish  they  were,  mean 
old  things;  when  I  was  going  down  to  play  a  duet 
with  Jasper !  We  should  have  had  a  good  long  time 
before  breakfast.  Oh,  mayn't  I  go  just  once,  mam- 
sie ?  Nobody'll  see  me  if  I  tuck  my  foot  under  the 


372  Five  Little  Peppers ; 

piano  ;  and  I  can  sew  'em  on  afterwards  —  there'll 
be  plenty  of  time.  Do,  just  once,  mamsie  !  " 

"  No,"  said  Mrs.  Pepper  firmly,  "  there  isn't  any 
time  but  now.  And  piano  playing  isn't  very  nice 
when  you've  got  to  stick  your  toes  under  it  to  keep 
your  shoes  on." 

"  Well  then,"  grumbled  Polly,  hopping  around  in 


PHRONSIE    HELPS    POLLY. 

her  stocking-feet,  "  where  is  the  work-basket,  mam- 
sie ?  Oh  —  here  it  is  on  the  window-seat."  A.  rattle 
of  spools,  scissors  and  necessary  utensils  showed 
plainly  that  Polly  had  found  it,  followed  by  a  jumble 
of  words  and  despairing  ejaculations  as  she  groped 
hurriedly  under  chairs  and  tables  to  collect  the 
scattered  contents. 


And  How  They  Grew.  373 

When  she  got  back  with  a  very  red  face,  she  found 
Phronsie,  who  had  crawled  out  of  bed,  sitting  down 
on  the  floor  in  her  little  nightgown  and  examining 
the  boot  with  profound  interest. 

"I  can  sew  'em,  Polly,"  she  said,  holding  up  her 
hand  for  the  big  needle  that  Polly  was  trying  to 
thread  —  "I  can  now  truly  ;  let  me,  Polly,  do  !  " 

"  Dear  no !  "  said  Polly  with  a  little  laugh,  be- 
ginning to  be  very  much  ashamed.  "What  could  you 
do  with  your  little  mites  of  hands  pulling  this  big 
thread  through  that  old  leather?  There,  scamper 
into  bed  again  ;  you'll  catch  cold  out  here." 

"  Tisn't  viry  cold,"  said  Phronsie,  tucking  up  her 
toes  under  the  nightgown,  but  Polly  hurried  her  into 
bed,  where  she  curled  herself  up  under  the  clothes, 
watching  her  make  a  big  knot.  But  the  knot  didn't 
stay;  for  when  Polly  drew  up  the  long  thread  tri- 
umphantly to  the  end  —  out  it  flew,  and  away  the 
button  hopped  again  as  if  glad  to  be  released.  And 
then  the  thread  kinked  horribly,  and  got  all  twisted 
up  in  disagreeable  little  snarls  that  took  all  Polly's 
patience  to  unravel. 

"  It's  because  you're  in  such  a  hurry,"  said  Mrs. 
Pepper,  who  was  getting  Phronsie's  clothes.  And 
coming  over  across  the  room  she  got  down  on  one 


374  Five  Little  Peppers; 

knee,  and  looked  over  Polly's  shoulder.  "There 
now,  let  mother  see  what's  the  matter." 

"Oh  dear,"  said  Polly,  resigning  the  needle  with 
a  big  sigh,  and  leaning  back  to  take  a  good  stretch, 
followed  by  Phronsie's  sympathizing  eyes  ;  "  they 
never '//be  on!  And  there  goes  the  first  bell !"  as 
the  loud  sounds  under  Jane's  vigorous  ringing  pealed 
up  over  the  stairs.  "  There  won't  be  time  anyway, 
now  !  I  wish  there  wasn't  such  a  thing  as  shoes  in 
the  world  ! "  And  she  gave  a  flounce  and  sat  up 
straight  in  front  of  her  mother. 

"Polly!"  said  Mrs.  Pepper  sternly,  deftly  fasten- 
ing the  little  buttons  tightly  into  place  with  quick, 
firm  stitches,  "  better  be  glad  you've  got  them  to  sew 
at  all.  There  now,  here  they  are.  Those  won't  come 
off  in  a  hurry  !  " 

"  Oh,  mamsie  ! "  cried  Polly,  ignoring  for  a  mo- 
ment the  delights  of  the  finished  shoe  to  fling  her 
arms  around  her  mother's  neck  and  give  her  a  good 
hug.  "You're  just  the  splendidest,  goodest  mamsie  in 
all  the  world.  And  I'm  a  hateful,  cross  old  bear,  so 
I  am !  "  she  cried  remorsefully,  buttoning  herself  into 
her  boots.  Which  done,  she  flew  at  the  rest  of  her 
preparations  and  tried  to  make  up  for  lost  time. 

But  'twas  all  of  no  use.  The  day  seemed  to  be 
always  just  racing  ahead  of  her,  and  turning  a  cor- 


And  How  They  Grew.  375 

ner,  before  she  could  catch  up  to  it,  and  Ben  and 
the  other  boys  only  caught  dissolving  views  of  her 
as  she  flitted  through  halls  or  over  stairs. 

"  Where's  Polly  ? "  said  Percy  at  last,  coming  with 
great  dissatisfaction  in  his  voice  to  the  library  door. 
"  We've  called  her  and  called  her,  I  guess  a  million 
times,  and  she  won't  hairy." 

"  What  do  you  want  to  have  her  do  ?  "  asked  Jas- 
per, looking  up  from  the  sofa  where  he  had  flung 
himself  with  a  book. 

"  Why,  she  said  she'd  make  Van  and  me  our  sails 
you  know,"  said  Percy,  holding  up  a  rather  forlorn 
looking  specimen  of  a  boat,  but  which  the  boys  had 
carved  with  the  greatest  enthusiasm,  "  and  we  want 
her  now." 

"  Can't  you  let  her  alone  till  she's  ready  to  come  ?  " 
said  Jasper  quickly.  "  You're  always  teasing  her  to 
do  something,"  he  added. 

"  I  didn't  tease,"  said  Percy  indignantly,  coming 
up  to  the  sofa,  boat  in  hand,  to  enforce  his  words. 
"  She  said  she'd  love  to  do  'em,  so  there,  Jasper 
King ! " 

"  Coming !  coming !  "  sang  Polly  over  the  stairs, 
and  bobbing  into  the  library,  "Oh  —  here  you  are, 
Percy  !  I  couldn't  come  before ;  mamsie  wanted  me. 
Now,  says  I,  for  the  sails."  And  she  began  to  flap 


376  Five  Little  Peppers  ; 

out  a  long  white  piece  of  cotton  cloth  on  the   table 
to  trim  into  just  the  desired  shape. 

"  That  isn't  the  way,"  said  Percy,  crowding  up,  the 
brightness  that  had  flashed  over  his  face  at  Polly's 
appearance  beginning  to  fade.  "  Hoh  !  those  won't 
be  good  for  anything —  those  ain't  sails." 

"I  haven't  finished."  said  Polly,  snipping  away 
vigorously,  and  longing  to  get  back  to  mamsie. 
"  Wait  till  they're  done  ;  then  they'll  be  good  —  as 
good  as  can  be  !  " 

"  And  it's  bad  enough  to  have  to  make  them,"  put 
in  Jasper,  flinging  aside  his  book  and  rolling  over  to 
watch  them,  "  without  having  to  be  found  fault  with 
every  second,  Percy." 

"  They're  too  big,"  said  Percy,  surveying  them 
critically,  and  then  looking  at  his  boat. 

"  Oh,  that  corner's  coming  off,"  cried  Polly  cheer- 
fully, giving  it  a  sharp  cut  that  sent  it  flying  on  the 
floor.  "And  they  won't  be  too  big  when  they're 
done,  Percy,  all  hemmed  and  everything.  There," 
as  she  held  one  up  for  inspection,  "  that's  just  the 
way  I  used  to  make  Ben's  and  mine,  when  we  sailed 
boats." 

"Is  it?"  asked  Percy,  looking  with  more  respect 
it  the  piece  of  cloth  Polly  was  waving  alluringly 
before  him.  "  Just  exactly  like  it,  Polly? " 


And  How   They  Grew.  377 

"  Yes,"  said  Polly,  laying  it  down  again  for  a  pat- 
tern —  "  oh,  how  does  this  go  —  oh  —  that's  it,  there 
—  yes,  this  is  just  exactly  like  Bensie's  and  mine  — 
that  was  when  I  was  ever  so  little  ;  and  then  I  used 
to  make  Joel's  and  Davie's  afterwards  and  "  — 

"  And  were  theirs  just  like  this  ? "  asked  Percy, 
laying  his  hand  on  the  sail  she  had  finished  cutting 
out. 

"  /y^-cisely,"  said  P<  >lly,  with  a  pin  in  her  mouth. 
"  Just  as  like  as  two  peas,  Percy  Whitney." 

"  Th£n  I  like  them,"  cried  Percy,  veering  round 
and  regarding  them  with  great  satisfaction  — as  Van 
bounded  in  with  a  torrent  of  complaints,  and  great 
disappointment  in  every  line  of  his  face. 

"  Oh  now,  that's  too  bad  !  "  he  cried,  seeing  Polly 
fold  up  the  remaining  bits  of  cloth,  and  pick  up  the 
scraps  on  the  floor.  "  And  you've  gone  and  let  her 
cut  out  every  one  of  'em,  and  never  told  me  a  word  ! 
You're  a  mean,  old  hateful  thing,  Percy  Whitney !  " 

"Oh  don't!"  said  Polly,  on  her  keees  on  the 
floor. 

"  I  forgot  —  "  began  Percy,  "  and  she  cut  'em  so 
quick  —  and  — 

"And  I've  been  waiting,"  said  Van,  in  a  loud 
wrathful  key,  "and  waiting  —  and  waiting!" 

"  Never  mind,  Van,"  said  Jasper  consolingly,   get- 


378  Five  Little  Peppers  • 

ting  off  from  the  sofa  and  coming  up  to  the  table. 
"They're  done  and  done  beautifully,  aren't  they  ?" 
he  said,  holding  up  one. 

But  this  only  proved  fresh  fuel  for  the  fire  of 
Van's  indignation. 

"  And  you  shan't  have  em,  so  !  "  he  cried,  making 
a  lunge  at  the  one  on  the.table,  "  for  I  made  most 
of  the  boat,  there  /" 

"  Oh  no,  you  didn't !  "  cried  Percy  in  the  greatest 
alarm,  hanging  on  to  the  boat  in  his  hand.  "  I  cut 
—  all  the  keel  —  and  the  bow  —  and  —  " 

"  Oh  dear  !  "  said  Polly,  in  extrem  dismay,  looking 
at  Jasper.  "  Come,  I'll  tell  you  what  I'll  do,  boys." 

"What?  "  said  Van,  cooling  off  a  little,  and  allow- 
ing Percy  to  edge  into  a  corner  with  the  beloved 
boat  and  one  sail.  "  What  will  you,  Polly  ?  " 

"  I'll  make  you  another  pair  of  sails/'  said  Polly 
groaning  within  herself  as  she  thought  of  the  wasted 
minutes/' and  then  you  can  see  me  cut 'em,  Van." 

"  Will  you  really"  he  said,  delight  coming  all  ovei 
his  flushed  face. 

"  Yes,  I  will,"  cried  Polly,  "  wait  a  minute  till  I  get 
some  more  cloth."  And  she  started  for  the  door. 

"  Oh  now,  that's  too  bad  !  "  said  Jasper.  "  To  have 
to  cut  more  of  those  tiresome  old  things  !  Van,  lei 
her  off !  " 


And  How  They  Greiv.  379 

"  Oh  no,  I  won't !  I  won't !  "  he  cried  in  the  greatest 
alarm,  running  up  to  her  as  she  stood  by  the  door. 
"  You  did  say  so,  Polly  !  You  know  you  did  !  " 

"Of  course  I  did,  Vanny,"  said  Polly,  smiling 
down  into  his  eager  face, "  and  we'll  have  a  splen- 
did pair  in  just one minute  !  "  she  sang. 

And  so  the  sails  were  cut  out,  and  the  hems 
turned  down  and  basted,  and  tucked  away  into 
Polly's  little  work-basket  ready  for  the  sewing  on 
the  morrow.  And  then  Mr.  King  came  in  and  took 
Jasper  off  with  him  ;  and  the  two  Whitney  boys  went 
up  to  mamma  for  a  story ;  and  Polly  sat  down  in 
mamsie's  room  to  tackle  her  French  exercise. 


380  Five  Little  Peppers; 


CHAPTER    XXVI. 
POLLY'S   BIG  BUNDLE! 

THE  room  was  very  quiet;  but  presently  Phron- 
sie  strayed  in,  and  seeing  Polly  studying, 
climbed  up  in  a  chair  by  the  window  to  watch  the 
birds  hop  over  the  verandah  and  pick  up  worms  in 
thdf  grass  beside  the  carriage  drive.  And  then  came 
Mrs.  Pepper  with  the  big  mending  basket,  and  en- 
sconced herself  opposite  by  the  table ;  and  nothing 
was  to  be  heard  but  the  "  tick,  tick  "  of  the  clock,  and 
an  occasional  dropping  of  a  spool  of  thread,  or  scis- 
sors, from  the  busy  hands  flying  in  and  out  among 
the  stockings. 

All  of  a  sudden  there  was  a  great  rustling  in 
Cherry's  cage  that  swung  in  the  big  window  on  the 
other  side  of  the  room.  And  then  he  set  up  a  loud 
and  angry  chirping,  flying  up  and  down,  and  opening 
his  mouth  as  if  he  wanted  to  express  his  mind,  but 


And  How    They  Grew.  38 1 

couldn't,  and  otherwise  acting  in  a  very  strange  and 
unaccountable  manner. 

"  Dear  me  !  "  said  Mrs.  Pepper,  "  what's  that  ?  " 

"  It's  Cherry,"  said  Polly,  lifting  up  her  head  from 
"Fasquelle,"  "and  —  oh,  dear  me!"  and  flinging 
down  the  pile  of  books  in  her  lap  on  a  chair,  she 
rushed  across  the  room  and  flew  up  to  the  cage  and 
began  to  wildly  gesticulate  and  explain  and  shower 
down  on  him  every  endearing  name  she  could  think 
of. 

"  What  is  the  matter  ?  "  asked  her  mother,  turning 
around  in  her  chair  in  perfect  astonishment.  "  What 
upon  earth,  Polly  !  " 

"  How  could  I !  "  cried  Polly,  in  accents  of  despair, 
not  heeding  her  mother's  question.  "  Oh.  mamsie, 
will  he  die,  do  you  think  ?  " 

"  I  guess  not,"  said  Mrs.  Pepper,  laying  down  her 
work  and  coming  up  to  the  cage,  while  Phronsie 
scrambled  off  from  her  chair  and  hurried  to  the 
scene.  "  Why,  he  does  act  queer,  don't  he  ?  P'raps 
he's  been  eating  too  much  ?  " 

11  Eating/"  said  Polly,  "  oh  mamsie,  he  hasn't  had 
anything.  "  And  she  pointed  with  shame  and  remorse 
to  the  seed-cup  with  only  a  few  dried  husks  in  the 
very  bottom. 

"Oh,  Polly,"   began   Mrs.  Pepper;  but  seeing  the 


382  Five  Little  Peppers ; 

look  on  her  face,  she  changed  her  tone  for  one  more 
cheerful.  "  Well,  hurry  and  get  him  some  now  ;  he'll 
be  all  right,  poor  little  thing,  in  a  minute.  There, 
there,"  she  said,  nodding  persuasively  at  the  cage, 
"you  pretty  creature  you  !  so  you  sha'n't  be  starved." 

At  the  word  "  starved,"  Polly  winced  as  though 
a  pin  had  been  pointed  at  her. 

"  There  isn't  any,  mamsie,  in  the  house,"  she 
stammered  ;  "  he  had  the  last  yesterday." 

"  And  you  forgot  him  to-day  ? "  asked  Mrs.  Pepper, 
with  a  look  in  her  black  eyes  Polly  didn't  like. 

"  Yes'm,"  said  poor  Polly  in  a  low  voice. 

"  Well,  he  must  have  something  right  away,"  said 
Mrs.  Pepper,  decidedly.  "  That's  certain." 

"I'll  run  right  down  to  Fletcher's  and  get  it,"  cried 
Polly.  "  'Twon't  take  me  but  a  minute,  mamsie  ; 
Jasper's  gone,  and  Thomas,  too,  so  I've  got  to  go/' 
she  added,  as  she  saw  her  mother  hesitate. 

"  If  you  could  wait  till  Ben  gets  home,"  said  Mrs. 
Pepper,  slowly.  "  I'm  most  afraid  it  will  rain, 
Polly." 

"  Oh,  no,  mamsie,"  cried  Polly,  feeling  as  if  she 
could  fly  to  the  ends  of  the  earth  to  atone,  and  long- 
ing beside  for  the  brisk  walk  down  town.  Going  up 
to  the  window  she  pointed  triumphantly  to  the  little 


And  How  They  Grew.  383 

bit  of  blue  sky  still  visible.  "There,  now,  see,  it 
can't  rain  yet  awhile." 

"  Well,"  said  Mrs.  Pepper,  while  Phronsie,  stand- 
ing in  a  chair  with  her  face  pressed  close  to  the  cage, 
was  telling  Cherry  through  the  bars  ''not  to  be  hun- 
gry, please  don't  I"  which  he  didn't  seem  to  mind  in 
the  least,  but  went  on  screaming  harder  than  ever ! 
"  And  besides,  'tisn't  much  use  to  wait  for  Ben.  No- 
body knows  where  he'll  get  shoes  to  fit  himself  and 
Joe  and  Davie,  in  one  afternoon  !  But  be  sure,  Polly, 
to  hurry,  for  it's  getting  late,  and  I  shall  be  worried 
about  you." 

"  Oh,  mamsie,"  said  Polly,  turning  back  just  a 
minute,  "  I  know  the  way  to  Fletcher's  just  as  easy  as 
anything.  I  couldn't  get  lost." 

"  I  know  you  do,"  said  Mrs.  Pepper,  "but  it'll  be 
dark  early  on  account  of  the  shower.  Well,"  she 
said,  pulling  out  her  well-worn  purse  from  her  pocket, 
"  if  it  does  sprinkle,  you  get  into  a  car,  Polly,  remem- 
ber." 

"Oh,  yes,  I  will,"  she  cried,  taking  the  purse. 

"  And  there's  ten  cents  for  your  bird  seed  in  that 
pocket,"  said  Mrs.  Pepper,  pointing  to  a  coin  racing 
away  into  a  corner  by  itself. 

"  Yes'm,"  said  Polly,  wild  to  be  off. 

"  And  there's  a  five-cent  piece  in  that  one  for  you  to 


384  Five  Little  Peppers  ; 

ride  up  with,"  said  her  mother,  tying  up  the  purse 
carefully.  "  Remember,  for  you  to  ride  up  with. 
Well,  I  guess  you  better  ride  up  anyway,  Polly,  come 
to  think,  and  then  you'll  get  home  all  the  quicker." 

"  Where  you  going  ?  "  asked  Phronsie,  who  on  see- 
ing the  purse  knew  there  was  some  expedition  on 
foot,  and  beginning  to  clamber  down  out  of  the  chair. 
"  Oh,  I  want  to  go  too,  I  do.  Take  me,  Polly  ! " 

"  Oh,  no,  Pet,  I  can't,"  cried  Polly,  "  I've  got  to 
hurry  like  everything  !  " 

"  I  can  hurry  too,"  cried  Phronsie,  drawing  her 
small  figure  to  its  utmost  height,  "  oh,  so  fast, 
Polly  !  " 

"And  it's  ever  so  far,"  cried  Polly,  in  despair,  as 
she  saw  the  small  under  lip  of  the  child  begin  to 
quiver.  "  Oh,  dear  me,  mamsie,  what  shall  I  do  !  " 

"Run  right  along,"  said  Mrs.  Pepper,  briskly. 
"  Now,  Phronsie,  you  and  1  ought  to  take  care  of 
Cherry,  poor  thing." 

At  this  Phronsie  turned  and  wiped  away  two  big 
tears,  while  she  gazed  up  at  the  cage  in  extreme  com- 
miseration. 

"  I  guess  I'll  give  him  a  piece  of  bread,"  said  Mrs. 
Pepper  to  herself.  At  this  word  "bread,"  Polly,  who 
was  half  way  down  the  hall,  came  running  back. 

"Oh,  mamsie,  don't"  she  said.     "It  made  him  sick 


And  How  They  Grew.  385 

before,  don't  you  know  it  did  —  so  fat  and  stuffy." 
"  Well,  hurry  along  then,"   said   Mrs.  Pepper,    and 
Polly  was  off. 

Over  the  ground  she  sped,  only  intent  on  reaching 
the  bird  store,  her  speed  heightened  by  the  dark  and 
rolling  bank  of  cloud  that  seemed  to  shut  right  down 
suddenly  over  her  and  envelop  her  warningly. 

"  It's  good  I've  got  the  money  to  ride  up  with,"  she 
thought  to  herself,  hurrying  along  through  the  busy 
streets,  filled  now  with  anxious  crowds  homeward 
rushing  to  avoid  the  threatening  shower.  "  Well, 
here  I  am,"  she  said  with  a  sigh  of  relief,  as  she 
at  last  reached  Mr.  Fletcher's  big  bird  store. 

Here  she  steadily  resisted  all  temptations  to  stop 
and  look  at  the  new  arrivals  of  birds,  and  to  feed  the 
carrier-pigeons  who  seemed  to  be  expecting  her,  and 
who  turned  their  soft  eyes  up  at  her  reproachfully 
when  she  failed  to  pay  her  respects  to  them.  Even 
the  cunning  blandishments  of  a  very  attractive  mon- 
key that  always  had  entertained  the  children  on  their 
numerous  visits,  failed  to  interest  her  now.  Mamsie 
would  be  worrying,  she  knew  ;  and  besides,  the  sight 
of  so  many  birds  eating  their  suppers  out  of  gener- 
ously full  seed-cups,  only  filled  her  heart  with  remorse 
as  she  thought  of  poor  Cherry  and  his  empty  one. 


386  Five  Little  Peppers  ; 

So  she  put  down  her  ten  cents  silently  on  the  coun- 
ter, and  took  up  the  little  package  of  seed,  and  went 
out. 

But  what  a  change  !  The  cloud  that  had  seemed 
but  a  cloud  when  she  went  in,  was  now  fast  descend- 
ing in  big  ominous  sprinkles  that  told  of  a  heavy 
shower  to  follow.  Quick  and  fast  they  came,  making 
everybody  fly  to  the  nearest  shelter. 

"  I  don't  care,"  said  Polly  to  herself,  holding  fast 
her  little  package.  "  I'll  run  and  get  in  the  car  — 
then  I'll  be  all  right." 

So  she  went  on  with  nimble  footsteps,  dodging  the 
crowd,  and  soon  came  to  the  corner.  A  car  was  just 
in  sight  —  that  was  fine  !  Polly  put  her  hand  in  her 
pocket  for  her  purse,  to  have  it  all  ready  —  but  as 
quickly  drew  it  out  again  and  stared  wildly  at  the  car, 
which  she  allowed  to  pass  by.  Her  pocket  was 
empty  ! 

"  Oh,  dear,"  she  said  to  herself,  as  a  sudden  gust 
of  wind  blew  around  the  corner,  and  warned  her  to 
move  on,  "  now  what  shall  I  do  !  Well,  I  must  hurry. 
Nothing  for  it  but  to  run  now!  " 

And  secretly  glad  at  the  chance  for  a  good  hearty 
run  along  the  hard  pavements,  a  thing  she  had  been 
longing  to  do  ever  since  she  came  to  the  city,  Polly 
gathered  her  bundle  of  seed  up  under  her  arm,  and 


POOR  CHERRY'S  BIRD-SEED. 


And  How  They  Greiu,  389 

set  out  for  a  jolly  race.  She  was  enjoying  it  hugely, 
when  —  a  sudden  turn  of  the  corner  brought  her  up 
against  a  gentleman,  who,  having  his  umbrella  down 
to  protect  his  face,  hadn't  seen  her  till  it  was  too 
late. 

Polly  never  could  tell  how  it  was  done;  but  the 
first  thing  she  knew  she  was  being  helped  up  from  the 
wet,  slippery  pavement  by  a  kind  hand  ;  and  a  gen- 
tleman's voice  said  in  the  deepest  concern  : 

"  I  beg  your  pardon  ;  it  was  extremely  careless  in 
me  " 

"  It's  no  matter,"  said  Polly,  hopping  up  with  a 
little  laugh,  and  straightening  her  hat.  "  Only  —  " 
and  she  began  to  look  for  her  parcel  that  had  been 
sent  spinning. 

"What  is  it?"  said  the  gentleman,  bending  down 
and  beginning  to  explore,  too,  in  the  darkness. 

"  My  bundle,"  began  Polly.-    "  Oh,  dear !  " 

No  need  to  ask  for  it  now  !  There  lay  the  paper 
wet  and  torn,  down  at  their  feet.  The  seed  lay  all 
over  the  pavement,  scattered  far  and  wide  even  out  to 
the  puddles  in  the  street.  And  not  a  cent  of  money 
to  get  any  more  with  !  The  rain  that  was  falling 
around  them  as  they  stood  there  sent  with  the  sound 
of  every  drop  such  a  flood  of  misery  into  Polly's 
heart ! 


39°  fwt  Little  Peppers ; 

"  What  was  it,  child  ? "  asked  the  gentleman,  peering 
sharply  to  find  out  what  the  little  shiny  things  were. 

"  Bird-seed,"  gasped  Polly. 

"  Is  that  all  ? "  said  the  gentleman  with  a  happy 
laugh.  "  I'm  very  glad." 

"  All !"  Polly's  heart  stood  still  as  she  thought  of 
Cherry,  stark  and  stiff  in  the  bottom  of  his  cage,  if  he 
didn't  get  it  soon.  "  Now,"  said  the  kind  tones, 
briskly,  "  come,  little  girl,  we'll  make  this  all  right 
speedily.  Let's  see  —  here's  a  bird  store.  Now, 
then." 

"But,  sir  —  "  began  Polly,  holding  back. 

Even  Cherry  had  better  die  than  to  do  anything 
her  mother  wouldn't  like.  But  the  gentleman  already 
had  her  in  the  shop,  and  was  delighting  the  heart  of 
the  shop-keeper  by  ordering  him  to  do  up  a  big  pack- 
age of  all  kinds  of  seed.  And  then  he  added  a  cun- 
ning arrangement  for  birds  to  swing  in,  and  two  ot 
three  other  things  that  didn't  have  anything  to  do  with 
birds  at  all.  And  then  they  came  out  on  the  wet, 
slippery  street  again." 

"  Now,  then,  little  girl,"  said  the  gentleman,  tuck- 
ing the  bundle  under  his  arm,  and  opening  the  urn. 
brella  ;  then  he  took  hold  of  Polly's  hand,  who  by 
this  time  was  glad  of  a  protector.  "  Where  do  you 


And  How  They  Grew.  39 1 

live  ?  For  I'm  going  to  take  you  safely  home  this  time 
where  umbrellas  can't  run  into  you." 

"  Oh  /"  said  Polly,  with  a  little  skip.  "  Thank  you 
sir  !  It's  up  to  Mr.  King's ;  and  —  " 

"  What!"  said  the  gentleman,  stopping  short  in 
the  midst  of  an  immense  puddle,  and  staring  at  her, 
"  Mr.  Jasper  King's?  " 

"  I  don't  know  sir,"  said  Polly,  "  what  his  other 
name  is.  Yes  it  must  be  Jasper ;  that's  what  Jappy's 
is,  anyway,"  she  added  with  a  little  laugh,  wishing 
very  much  that  she  could  see  Jappy  at  that  identical 
moment. 

"Jappy!"  said  the  stranger,  still  standing  as  if 
petrified.  "  And  are  there  little  Whitney  children  in 
the  same  house  !  " 

"  Oh,  yes,"  said  Polly,  raising  her  clear,  brown  eyes 
up  at  him.  The  gas  lighter  was  just  beginning  his 
rounds,  and  the  light  from  a  neighboring  lamp  flashed 
full  on  Polly's  face  as  she  spoke,  showing  just  how 
clear  and  brown  the  eyes  were.  "  There's  Percy,  and 
Van,  and  little  Dick  —  oh,  he's  so  cunning!"  she 
cried,  impulsively. 

The  gentleman's  face  looked  very  queer  just  then  ; 
but  he  merely  said  : 

"  Why,  you  must  be  Polly  ?  " 

"  Yes,  sir,  I   am,"  said   Polly,  pleased  to   think  he 


392  Five  Little  Peppers  ; 

knew  her.  And  then  she  told  him  how  she'd  forgot- 
ten Cherry's  seed,  and  all  about  it.  '•  And  oh,  sir,'' 
she  said,  and  her  voice  began  to  tremble,  "  mamsie'll 
be  so  frightened  if  I  don't  get  there  soon  !  " 

"I'm  going  up  there  myself,  so  that  it  all  happens 
very  nicely,"  said  the  gentleman,  commencing  to  start 
off  briskly,  and  grasping  her  hand  tighter.  "  Now, 
then,  Polly." 

So  off  they  went  at  a  very  fast  pace  ;  she,  skipping 
through  the  puddles  that  his  long,  even  strides  carried 
him  safely  over,  chattered  away  by  his  side  under  the 
umbrella,  and  answered  his  many  questions,  and  alto- 
gether got  so  very  well  acquainted  that  by  the  time 
they  turned  in  at  the  old  stone  gateway,  she  felt  as  if 
she  had  known  him  for  years. 

And  there,  the  first  thing  they  either  of  them  saw, 
down  in  a  little  corner  back  of  the  tall  evergreens, 
was  a  small  heap  that  rose  as  they  splashed  up  the 
carriage-drive,  and  resolved  itself  into  a  very  red  dress 
and  a  very  white  apron,  as  it  rushed  impulsively  up 
and  flung  itself  into  Polly's  wet  arms  : 

"And  I  was  so  tired  waiting,  Polly  !" 

"  Oh  dear  me,  Phronsie !  "  cried  Polly,  huddling 
her  up  from  the  dark,  wet  ground.  "  You'll  catch  your 
death !  What  will  mamsie  say  !  " 

The  stranger,  amazed  at  this   new   stage   of   the 


And  How  They  Grew.  393 

proceedings,  was  vainly  trying  to  hold  the  umbrella 
over  both,  till  the  procession  could  move  on  again. 

"  Oh ! "  cried  Phronsie,  shaking  her  yellow  head 
decidedly,  "  they're  all  looking  for  you.  Polly."  She 
pointed  one  finger  solemnly  up  to  the  big  carved  door 
as  she  spoke.  At  that  Polly  gathered  her  up  close 
and  began  to  walk  with  rapid  footsteps  up  the  path. 

"  Do  let  me  carry  you,  little  girl,"  said  Polly's  kind 
friend  persuasive!}',  bending  down  to  the  little  face  on 
Polly's  neck. 

"  Oh,  no,  no,  no  !  "  said  Phronsie,  at  each  syllable 
grasping  Polly  around  the  throat  in  perfect  terror,  and 
waving  him  off  with  a  very  crumpled,  mangy  bit  of 
paper,  that  had  already  done  duty  to  wipe  off  the 
copious  tears  during  her  anxious  watch.  "  Don't  let 
him,  Polly,  don't  /" 

"  There  sha'n't  anything  hurt  you,"  said  Polly,  kiss- 
ing her  reassuringly,  and  stepping  briskly  off  with  her 
burden,  just  as  the  door  burst  open,  and  Joel  flew 
out  on  the  veranda  steps,  followed  by  the  rest  of  the 
troop  in  the  greatest  state  of  excitement. 

"Oh,  whickety  !  she's  come  I"  he  shouted,  springing 
up  to  her  over  the  puddles,  and  crowding  under  the 
umbrella.  "Where'd  you  get  Phronsie  ?  "  he  asked, 
standing  quite  still  at  sight  of  the  little  feet  tucked 
Up  to  get  out  of  the  rain.  And  without  waiting  for 


394  fhu  fettle  Peppers; 

an  answer  he  turned  and  shot  back  into  the  house, 
proclaiming  in  stentorian  tones,  "  Ma,  Polly's  come 
—  an'  she's  got  Phronsie  —  an'  an  awful  big  man  — 
and  they're  out  by  the  gate  !  " 

"Phronsie!"  said  Mrs.  Pepper,  springing  to  her 
feet,  "why,  I  thought  she  was  up-stairs  with  Jane." 

"Now,  somebody,"  exclaimed  old  Mr.  King,  who 
sat  by  the  library  table  vainly  trying  to  read  a  news- 
paper, which  he  now  threw  down  in  extreme  irritation 
as  he  rose  quickly  and  went  to  the  door  to  welcome 
the  wanderers,  "  somebody  ought  to  watch  that  poor 
child,  whose  business  it  is  to  know  where  she  is ! 
She's  caught  her  death-cold,  no  doubt,  no  doubt ! " 

Outside,  in  the  rain,  the  children  revolved  around 
and  around  Polly  and  Phronsie,  hugging  and  kissing 
them,  until  nobody  could  do  much  more  than  breathe, 
not  seeming  to  notice  the  stranger,  who  stood  quietly 
waiting  till  such  time  as  he  could  be  heard. 

At  last,  in  a  lull  in  the  scramble,  as  they  were  drag- 
ing  Polly  and  her  burden  up  the  steps,  each  wild  for 
the  honor  of  escorting  her  into  the  house,  he  cried  out 
in  laughing  tones : 

"  Isn't  anybody  going  to  kiss  me,  I  wonder  !  " 

The  two  little  Whitneys,  who  were  eagerly  clutching 
Polly's  arms,  turned  around  ;  and  Percy  r«bbed  his 


And  How  They  Grew.  395 

eyes  in  a  puzzled  way,  as  Joel  said,  stopping  a  min- 
ute to  look  up  at  the  tall  figure  : 

"  We  don't  ever  kiss  strangers — mamsie's  told  us 
not  to." 

"  For  shame,  Joey  !  "  cried  Polly,  feeling  her  face 
grow  dreadfully  red  in  the  darkness,  "  the  gentleman's 
been  so  kind  to  me  !  " 

"You're  right,  my  boy,"  said  the  stranger,  laughing 
and  bending  down  to  Joel's  upturned,  sturdy  counte- 
nance, at  the  same  instant  that  Mrs.  Pepper  flung 
open  the  big  door,  and  a  bright,  warm  light  fell 
straight  across  his  handsome  face.  And  then  — 

Well,  then  Percy  gave  a  violent  bound,  and  upset- 
ting Joel  as  he  did  so,  wriggled  his  way  down  the 
steps  —  at  the  same  time  that  Van,  on  Polly's  other 
side,  rushed  up  to  the  gentleman  : 

"  Papa  —  oh,  papa  !  " 

Polly,  half  way  up  the  steps,  turned  around,  and 
then,  at  the  rush  of  feeling  that  gathered  at  her  heart, 
sat  right  down  on  the  wet  slippery  step. 

"  Why,  Polly  Pepper  !  "  exclaimed  Joel,  not  mind- 
ing his  own  upset.  "  You're  right  in  all  the  slush  — 
mother  won't  like  it,  I  tell  you  !  " 

"  Hush  !  "  cried  Polly,  catching  his  arm,  "  he's 
come  —  oh,  Joel  —  he's  come  /  " 


396  Five    Little    Peppers; 

"  Who  ?  "  cried  Joel,  staring  around  blindly,  "  who, 
Polly  ? " 

Polly  had  just  opened  her  lips  to  explain,  when 
Mr.  King's  portly,  handsome  figure  appeared  in  the 
doorway.  "Do  come  in,  children  —  why  —  good 
gracious,  Mason  ! " 

"  Yes,"  cried  the  stranger,  lightly,  dropping  his  big 
bundle  and  umbrella  as  he  passed  in  the  door,  with 
his  little  sons  clinging  to  him.  "  Where  is  Marian  ?  " 

"  Why  didn't  you  write  ?  "  asked  the  old  gentleman, 
testily.  "  These  surprises  aren't  the  right  sort  of 
things,"  and  he  began  to  feel  vigorously  of  his  heart. 
"  Here,  Mrs.  Pepper,  be  so  good  as  to  call  Mrs.  Whit- 
ney." 

"Pepper!  Pepper!"  repeated  Mr.  Whitney,  per- 
plexedly. 

"  She's  coming — I  hear  her  up-stairs,"  cried  Van 
Whitney.  "  Oh,  let  me  tell  her  !  "  He  struggled  to 
get  down  from  his  father's  arms  as  he  said  this. 

"No,  I  shall  —  I  heard  her  first!"  cried  Percy. 
"  Oh,  dear  me  !  Grandpapa's  going  to  !  " 

Mr.  King  advanced  to  the  foot  of  the  staircase  as 
his  daughter,  all  unconscious,  ran  down  with  a  light 
step,  and  a  smile  on  her  face. 

'•''Has  Polly  come  ? "  she  asked,  seeing  only  her 
father. 


And  ffow    They    Grew.  397 

"  Yes,"  replied  the  old  gentleman,  shortly,  "  and 
she's  brought  a  big  bundle,  Marian  !  " 

"  A  big  bundle  ?  "  she  repeated  wonderingly,  and 
gazing  at  him. 

"  A  very  big  bundle,"  he  said,  and  taking  hold  of 
her  shoulders  he  turned  her  around  on  —  her  hus- 
band. 

So  Polly  and  Phronsie  crept  in  unnoticed  after  all. 

"  I  wish  Ben  was  here,"  said  little  Davie,  capering 
around  the  Whitney  group,  "  an'  Jappy,  I  do  !  " 

"  Where  are  they  !  "  asked  Polly. 

"  Don't  know/'  said  Joel,  tugging  at  his  shoe-string. 
"  See  —  aren't  these  prime  !  "  He  held  up  a  shining 
black  shoe,  fairly  bristling  with  newness,  for  Polly  to 
admire. 

"  Splendid,"  she  cried  heartily ;  "  but  where  are 
the  boys  ?  " 

"  They  went  after  you,"  said  Davie,  "after  we  came 
home  with  our  shoes." 

''  No,  they  didn't/'  contradicted  Joel,  flatly ;  and 
sitting  down  on  the  floor  he  began  to  tie  and  untie 
his  new  possessions.  "When  we  came  home  Ben 
drew  us  pictures  —  lots  of  'em  —  don't  you  know  ?  " 

"  Oh,  yes,"  said  Davie,  nodding  his  head,  "  so  he 
did  ;  that  was  when  we  all  cried  'cause  you  weren't 
home,  Polly." 


398  Five  Little  Peppers  ; 

"  He  drawed  me  a  be-^w-tiful  one,"  cried  Phron- 
sie,  holding  up  her  mangy  bit ;  "  see,  Polly,  see  !  " 

"  That's  the  little  brown  house/'  said  Davie,  look- 
ing over  her  shoulder  as  Phronsie  put  it  carefully  into 
Polly's  hand. 

"  It's  all  washed  out,"  said  Polly,  smoothing  it  out. 
"  when  you  staid  out  in  the  rain." 

Phronsie's  face  grew  very  grave  at  that. 

"  Bad,  naughty  old  rain,"  she  said,  and  then  she 
began  to  cry  as  hard  as  she  could. 

"  Oh  dear,  don't !  "  cried  Polly  in  dismay,  trying  her 
best  to  stop  her,  "  oh,  Phronsie,  do  stop  !  "  she  im- 
plored, pointing  into  the  next  room  whence  the  sound 
of  happy  voices  issued,  "they'll  all  hear  you  !  " 

But  Phronsie  in  her  grief  didn't  care,  but  wailed 
on  steadily. 

"  Who  is  it  anyway  ?  "  cried  Joel,  tired  of  admiring 
his  precious  shoes,  and  getting  up  to  hear  them  squeak, 
"  that  great  big  man,  you  know,  Polly,  that  came  in 
with  you  ? " 

"  Why,  I  thought  I  told  you,"  said  Polly,  at  her 
wit's  end  over  Phronsie.  "  It's  Percy  and  Van's  father, 
Joey  !  " 

"Whockey  !  "  cried  Joel,  completely  stunned.  "  really 
and  truly,  Polly  Pepper  ?  " 

"  Really  and  truly,"  cried  Polly,  bundling  Phronsie 


And  How  They  Greiv.  399 

up  in  her  arms  to  lay  the  little  wet  cheek  against 
hers. 

"  Then  I'm  going  to  peek,"  cried  Joel,  squeaking 
across  the  floor  to  carry  his  threat  into  execution. 

"Oh,  you  mustn't,  Joe  !  "  cried  Polly,  frightened 
lest  he  should.  "  Come  right  back,  or  I'll  tell  mam- 
sie !  " 

"  They're  all  comin'  in,  anyway,"  cried  little  Davie. 
delightedly,  and  scuttling  over  to  Polly's  side. 

"  And  here  are  the  little  friends  I've  heard  so  much 
about !  "  cried  Mr.  Whitney  coming  in  amongst  them. 
"  Oh,  you  needn't  introduce  me  to  Polly —  she  brought 
me  home  ! " 

"They're  all  Pepperses,"  said  Percy,  waving  his 
hand,  and  doing  the  business  up  at  one  stroke. 

"  Only  the  best  of  'em  isn't  here,"  observed  Van, 
rather  ungallantly,  "  he  draws  perfectly  elegant, 
papa !  " 

"  /like  Polly  best,  I  do  !  "  cried  little  Dick,  tumb- 
ling after. 

"Peppers  !  "  again  repeated  Mr.  Whitney  in  a  puzzled 
way. 

"And  here  is  Mrs.  Pepper/'  said  old  Mr.  King, 
pompously  drawing  her  forward,  "  the  children's 
mother,  and  —  " 

But  here  Mrs.  Pepper  began  to  act  in  a  very  queer 


400  Five  Little  Peppers  ; 

way,  rubbing  her  eyes  and  twisting  one  corner  of  her 
black  apron  in  a  decidedly  nervous  manner  that,  as 
the  old  gentleman  looked  up,  he  saw  with  astonish 
ment  presently  communicated  itself  to  the  gentleman 
opposite. 

"  Is  it/'  said  Mr.  Whitney,  putting  out  his  hand 
and  grasping  the  hard,  toil-worn  one  in  the  folds  of 
the  apron,  "  is  it  cousin  Mary  ?  " 

"  And  aren't  you  cousin  John  ?  "  she  asked,  the  tears 
in  her  bright  black  eyes. 

"  Of  all  things  in  this  world  !  "  cried  the  old  gen- 
tleman, waving  his  head  helplessly  from  one  to  the 
other.  "  Will  somebody  have  the  extreme  goodness  to 
tell  us  what  all  this  means?" 

At  this  the  little  Peppers  crowded  around  their 
mother,  and  into  all  the  vacant  places  they  could  find, 
to  get  near  the  fascinating  scene. 

"  Well/'  said  Mr.  Whitney,  sitting  down  and  drawing 
his  wife  to  his  side,  "it's  a  long  story.  You  see,  when 
I  was  a  little  youngster,  and  —  " 

"  You  were  John  Whitney  then?  put  in  Mrs.  Pepper, 
slyly.  "  That's  the  reason  I  never  knew  when  they 
were  all  talking  of  Mason  Whitney." 

"  John  Whitney  I  was,"  said  Mr.  Whitney,  laughing, 
"  or  rather,  Johnny  and  Jack.  But  Grandmother 
Mason,  when  I  grew  older,  wanted  me  called  by  my 


And  How    They  Grew.  403 

middle  name  to  please  grandfather.  But  to  go  back 
—  when  I  was  a  little  shaver,  about  as  big  as  Percy 
here  —  " 

"  Oh,  papa  !  "  began  Percy,  deprecatingly.  To  be 
called  "  a  little  shaver  "  before  all  the  others  ! 

"  He  means,  dearie,"  said  his  mamma,  reassuringly, 
"  when  he  was  a  boy  like  you.  Now  hear  what  papa 
is  going  to  say." 

"  Well,  I  was  sent  up  into  Vermont  to  stay  at  the 
old  place.  There  was  a  little  girl  there  ;  a  bright, 
black-eyed  little  girl.  She  was  my  cousin,  and  her 
name  was  Mary  Bartlett." 

"  Who's  Mary  Bartlett  ?  "  asked  Joel,  interrupting. 

"  There  she  is,  sir,"  said  Mr.  Whitney,  pointing  to 
Mrs.  Pepper,  who  was  laughing  and  crying  together. 

"  Where  ?  "  said  Joel,  utterly  bewildered.  "  I  don't 
see  any  Mary  Bartlett.  What  does  he  mean,  Polly  ?  " 

"I  don't  know,"  said  Polly.  "Wait,  Joey,"  she 
whispered,  "  he's  going  to  tell  us  all  about  it." 

"  Well,  this  little  cousin  and  I  went  to  the  district 
school,  and  had  many  good  times  together.  And 
then  my  parents  sent  for  me,  and  I  went  to  Germany 
to  school  ;  and  when  I  came  back  I  lost  sight  of  her. 
All  I  could  find  out  was  that  she  had  married  an  En- 
glishman by  the  name  of  Pepper." 

"  Oh  f"  cried  all  the  children  together, 


404  Five  Little  Peppers  ; 

"  And  I  always  supposed  she  had  gone  to  England  • 
for  despite  all  my  exertions,  I  could  find  no  trace  of 
her.  Ah,  Mary,"  he  said  reproachfully,  "why  didn't 
you  let  me  know  where  you  were  ?  " 

"  I  heard,"  said  Mrs.  Pepper^  "  that  you'd  grown 
awfully  rich,  and  I  couldn't." 

"  You  always  were  a  proud  little  thing,"  he  said 
laughing. 

"  Well,  but,"  broke  in  Mr.  King,  unable  to  keep  si- 
lence any  longer,  "  /'//  like  to  inquire,  Mason,  why  you 
didn't  find  all  this  out  before,  in  Marian's  letters, 
when  she  mentioned  Mrs.  Pepper  ? " 

"  She  didn't  ever  mention  her,"  said  Mr.  Whitney, 
turning  around  to  face  his  questioner,  "  not  as  Mrs. 
Pepper  —  never  once  by  name.  It  was  always  either 
'  Polly's  mother,'  or  '  Phronsie's  mother.'  Just  like  a 
woman,"  he  added,  with  a  mischievous  glance  at  his 
wife,  "  not  to  be  explicit." 

"  And  just  like  a  man,"  she  retorted,  with  a  happy 
little  laugh,  "not  to  ask  for  explanations." 

"  I  hear  Jappy,"  cried  Polly,  in  a  glad  voice,  "  and 
Ben — oh,  good  !  "  as  a  sound  of  rushing  footsteps 
was  heard  over  the  veranda  steps,  and  down  the  long 
hall. 

The  door  was  thrown  suddenly  open,  and  Jasper 
plunged  in,  his  face  flushed  with  excitement,  and  after 


And  How  They    Grew,  405 

him  Ben,  looking  a  little  as  he  did  when  Phronsie 
was  lost,  while  Prince  squeezed  panting  in  between 
the  two  boys. 

"  Has  Polly  got  "  —  began  Jasper. 

"Oh,  yes,  I'm  here,"  cried  Polly,  springing  up  to 
them  ;  "  oh,  Ben  !  " 

"  She  has,"  cried  Joel,  disentangling  himself  from 
the  group,  "  don't  you  see,  Jappy  ?  " 

"  She's  all  home,"  echoed  Phronsie,  flying  up. 
"  Oh,  Ben,  do  draw  me  another  little  house  ! " 

"  And  see  —  see  !  "  cried  the  little  Whitneys,  point- 
ing with  jubilant  fingers  to  their  papa,  "see  what  she 
brought ! " 

Jasper  turned  around  at  that  —  and  then  rushed 
forward. 

"  Oh,  brother  Mason  !  " 

"Well,  Jasper,"  said  Mr.  Whitney,  a  whole  wealth 
of  affection  beaming  on  the  boy,  "how  you  have 
stretched  up  in  six  months  !  " 

"  Haven't  I  ?  "  said  Jasper,  laughing,  and  drawing 
himself  up  to  his  fullest  height. 

"  He's  a-standin'  on  tip-toe,"  said  Joel  critically, 
who  was  hovering  near.  "  I  most  know  he  is  !  "  and 
he  bent  down  to  examine  the  position  of  Jasper's 
heels. 

"  Not  a  bit  of  it,  Joe  !  "  cried  Jasper,  with  a  merry 


406  Five  Little  J'eppers ; 

laugh,  and  setting  both  feet  with  a  convincing  thud 
on  the  floor. 

"  Well,  anyway,  I'll,  be  just  as  big,"  cried  Joel, 
•;  when  I'm  thirteen,  so  !  " 

Just  then  a  loud  and  quick  rap  on  the  table  made 
all  the  children  skip,  and  stopped  everybody's  tongue. 
It  came  from  Mr.  King. 


l 

PHRONSIE  OVERLOOKS   THE   PROCEEDINGS. 

"  Phronsie,"  said  he,  "  come  here,  child.  I  can't  dc 
anything  without  you,"  and  held  out  his  hand.  Phron- 
sie immediately  left  Ben,  who  was  hanging  over  Polly 
as  if  he  never  meant  to  let  her  go  out  of  his  sight 
again,  and  went  directly  over  to  the  old  gentleman's 
side. 


And  How    They  Grew.  407 

"  Now,  then  !  "  He  swung  her  upon  his  shoulder, 
where  she  perched  like  a  little  bird,  gravely  surveying 
the  whole  group.  One  little  hand  stole  around  the 
old  gentleman's  neck,  and  patted  his  cheek  softly, 
which  so  pleased  him  that  for  a  minute  or  two  he 
stood  perfectly  still  so  that  everybody  might  see  it. 

"Now,  Phronsie,  _>w/  must  tell  all  these  children  so 
that  they'll  understand  —  say  everything  just  as  I  tell 
you,  mind  !  " 

"  I  will,"  said  Phronsie,  shaking  her  small  head 
wisely,  "  every  single  thing." 

"Well,  then,  now  begin — " 

"  Well,  then,  now  begin,"  said  Phronsie,  looking 
down  on  the  faces  with  an  air  as  much  like  Mr.  King's 
as  was  possible,  and  finishing  up  with  two  or  three 
little  nods. 

"  Oh,  no,  dear,  that  isn't  it,"  cried  the  old  gentle- 
man, "  I'll  tell  you.  Say,  Phronsie,  '  you  are  all 
cousins —  every  one.'  " 

"You  are  all  cousins — every  one,"  repeated  little 
Phronsie,  simply,  shaking  her  yellow  head  into  the 
very  middle  of  the  group. 

"  Does  she  mean  it,  grandpapa  ?  Does  she  mean  it  ?  " 
cried  Percy,  in  the  greatest  excitement. 

"  As  true  as  everything!  "  demanded  Joel,  crowding 
in  between  them. 


408  five  Little  Peppers; 

"  As  true  as  —  truth  !  "  said  the  old  gentleman  sol- 
emnly, patting  the  child's  little  fat  hand.  "  So  make 
the  most  of  it." 

"Oh!"  said  Polly,  with  a  long  sigh.  And  then 
Jasper  and  she  took  hold  of  hands  and  had  a  good 
spin  ! 

Joel  turned  around  with  two  big  eyes  on  Percy. 

"  We're  cousins  /"  he  said. 

"  I  know  it,"  said  Percy,  "  and  so's  Van  !  " 

"  Yes,"  said  Van,  flying  up,  "  and  I'm  cousin  to 
Polly,  too  —  that's  best  !  " 

"  Can't  /be  a  cousin  ?  "  cried  little  Dick,  crowding 
up,  with  two  red  cheeks.  ''  Isn't  anybody  going  to  be 
a  cousin  to  me,  too  ?  " 

"  Everybody  but  Jasper,"  said  the  old  gentleman, 
laughing  heartily  at  them.  "  You  and  I,  my  boy,"  he 
turned  to  his  son,  "  are  left  out  in  the  cold." 

At  this  a  scream,  loud  and  terrible  to  hear,  struck 

upon  them  all,  as  Joel  flung  himself  flat  on  the  floor. 

"  Isn't  —  Jappy  —  °ur  —  cousin  ?      I  •  —  want  — 


u  Goodness  !  "  exclaimed  the  old  gentleman,  in  the 
greatest  alarm,  "  what  is  the  matter  with  the  boy  ! 
Do  somebody  stop  him  !  " 

"Joel,"  said  Jasper,  leaning  over  him,  and  trying 
to  help  Polly  lift  him  up.  "  I'll  tell  you  how  we'll  fix 


And  How    They  Grew.  409 

it!  I'll  be  your  brother.  That's  best  of  all  —  brother 
to  Polly,  and  Ben  and  the  whole  of  you  —  then  we'll 
see!" 

Joel  bolted  up  at  that,  and  began  to  smile  through 
the  tears  running  down  the  rosy  face. 

"Will  you,  really?"  he  said,  "just  like  Ben — and 
everything  ? " 

"  I  can't  be  as  good  as  Ben,"  said  Jappy,  laughing, 
"but  I'll  be  a  real  brother  like  him." 

"  Phoo  —  phoo  !  Then  I  don't  care  !  "  cried  Joel 
wiping  off  the  last  tear  on  the  back  of  his  chubby 
hand.  "  Now  I  guess  we're  better'n  you"  he  ex- 
claimed with  a  triumphant  glance  over  at  the  little 
Whitneys,  as  he  began  to  make  the  new  shoes  skip  at 
a  lively  pace  up  and  down  the  long  room. 

"  Oh,    dear ! "    they  both  cried    in   great  distress. 

"  Now,  papa,  Jappy's  going  to  be  Joey's  brother  — 
and  he  isn't  anything  but  our  old  uncle  !  Make  him 
be  ours  more,  papa,  do !  " 

And  then  Polly  sprang  up. 

"Oh  !  oh  —  deary  me  !  "  And  she  rushed  out  into 
the  hall  and  began  to  tug  violently  at  the  big  bundle, 
tossed  down  in  a  corner.  "  Cherry'll  die  —  Cherry'll 
die !  "  she  cried,  "  do  somebody  help  me  t/ff  with  the 
string !  " 

But  Polly  already  had  it  off  by  the  time  Jasper's 


410  Five  Little  Peppers. 

knife  was  half  out  of  his  pocket,  and  was  kneeling 
down  on  the  floor  scooping  out  a  big  handful  of  the 
seed. 

"  Don't  hurry  so,  Polly,"  said  Jasper,  as  she  jumped 
up  to  fly  up-stairs.  "  He's  had  some  a  perfect  age  — 
he's  all  right." 

"  What!"  said  Polly,  stopping  so  suddenly  that 
two  or  three  little  seeds  flew  out  of  the  outstretched 
hand  and  went  dancing  away  to  the  foot  of  the  stairs 
by  themselves. 

"  Oh,  I  heard  him  scolding  away  there  when  I  first 
came  home,"  said  Jasper,  "  so  I  just  ran  down  a 
block  or  two,  and  got  him  some." 

"  Is  that  all  there  is  in  that  big  bundle  ?  "  said  Joel 
in  a  disappointed  tone,  who  had  followed  with  extreme 
curiosity  to  see  its  contents.  "  Phoo  !  —  that's  no  fun 
—  old  bird-seed  !  " 

"  I  know,"  said  Polly  with  a  gay  little  laugh,  point 
ing  with  the  handful  of  seed  into  the  library,  "  but ', 
shouldn't  have  met  the  other  big  bundle  if  it  hadn't 
have  been  for  this,  Joe !" 


UTTIE  MS  mm. 

Sequel  to 

Five  Little  Teppers  and  How  They  Grew. 

By  MARGARET  SIDNEY.    12mo,  $1.50. 

"  Five  Little  Peppers  Midway  "  tells  the  story  of 
their  life  in  the  interval  between  childhood  and  the 
young  manhood  and  maidenhood  of  the  older  chil- 
dren, and  a  royally  good  story  it  is.  The  same 
loving  little  Peppers  —  Polly,  Ben,  Davie,  Joel,  and 
the  universal  pet,  Phronsie  —  all  reappear  in  the 
new  story,  not  a  bit  spoiled  by  the  prosperity  that 
has  come  to  them  and  their  wise  and  tenderly  loved 
mother,  who  is  still  "  Mamsie  "  to  them.  The  story- 
is  replete  with  pleasant  surprises  that  the  young 
people  are  constantly  getting  up  for  each  other, 
among  which  are  parlor  theatricals,  in  whish  pet 
Phronsie  covers  herself  with  glory  as  the  beautiful 
princess  who  is  carried  off  by  terrible  dragons  (the 
boys).  There  are  some  exciting  but  less  agreeable 
happenings,  too,  as  when  Dick  breaks  his  leg, 
Phronsie  gets  lost,  a  real  burglar  is  secured  by 
Dick's  heroism,  and  a  sham  burglary  results  disas- 
trously to  Joel. 

"A  perfect  Cheeryble  of  a  book ;  to  read  it  is  like  inhaling  oxygen."  — 
Boston  Herald. 

"  Margaret  Sidney  stands  side  by  side  with  Louisa  Alcott  in  fresh,  un- 
stilted  style,  in  refined  sensibility  and  in  pure  and  wholesome  depiction  of 
home  life  among  children."  — Journal  of  Education. 

"  Every  page  of  the  book  is  full  of  sunshine."  —  Detroit  Free  Press. 

"  Little  Phronsie  will  become  one  of  the  best  loved  characters  of  children's 
fiction."  —  Boston  Journal. 

"  Its  great  charm  lies  in  fne  beautiful  blending  of  mature  life  with  that  of 
childhood.  It  teaches  to  every  parent  beautiful  and  instructive  lessons  with- 
out seeming  to  try."  —  Inter-Ocean,  Chicago. 

For  sale  at  the  bookstores,  or  sent  postpaid  on  receipt  of  price,  by 

D.  LOTHROP  COMPANY,  Boston,  Mass. 


FIVE  LITTLE  PEPPERS 11 IIF 

Sequel  to  Five  Little  Teppers  Midway 

By  MARGARET  SIDNEY. 

12mo,  illustrated,  $1.50. 

"  Five  Little  Peppers  and  How  They  Grew "  and  "  Five 
Little  Peppers  Midway  "  had  gone  forth  to  delight  all  children 
and  those  who  love  children.  But  these  did  not  satisfy  the 
vast  audience  that  hang  waiting  on  Margaret  Sidney's  written 
words.  "And  then  what  ?"  "What  happened  next  ?"  they 
cried.  And  so  the  third  "  Peppers  "  book  was  written,  and 
now  we  have  "  Five  Little  Peppers  Grown  Up."  It  is  almost 
a  pity  that  they  must  grow  up,  but  that  is  what  children  do  in 
real  life,  and  this  story  can  but  follow.  Even  Phronsie  is 
getting  to  be  a  big  girl  now,  though  not  losing  her  childlike 
innocence  and  trust.  She  is  the  same  "  Phronsie  Pepper  "  and 
always  will  be.  Her  nose  is  a  little  "  out  of  joint,"  for  there  is 
a  new  baby  now  to  be  catered  to,  a  little  King-Fisher,  who 
is  nearly  spoiled  with  pettings.  But  Phronsie  is  not  spoiled, 
nor  Polly  either,  though  everybody  conspires  to  do  it.  But 
the  mother's  teaching  and  their  own  good  sense  keep  them 
simple  and  true.  Polly  bravely  starts  out  as  music-teacher, 
and  not  only  succeeds  in  the  technique  of  her  work,  but  also, 
in  stimulating  her  young  pupils  to  larger  and  nobler  efforts. 
Of  course  she  has  hosts  of  admirers,  and  it  is  a  matter  of 
intense  interest  which  one  of  her  eager  lovers  the  little  maiden 
will  accept. 

Ben  and  Jasper  begin  their  business  careers,  and  Joel  and 
Dave  are  college  students  with  the  usual  experiences  of  young 
collegians.  There  are  some  graphic  descriptions  of  the  book 
publishing  business  in  which  Jasper  engages.  Various  new 
characters  are  introduced,  and  the  story  winds  in  and  out 
among  them  all  with  that  bright  sparkle  of  animated  life  which 
marks  all  of  Margaret  Sidney's  stories. 

Throughout  the  book,  there  is  a  realization  not  only  of 
physical  growth,  but  of  the  growth  of  noble  character.  And 
yet  there  is  no  preaching,  save  what  comes  indirectly  by 
example ;  and  the  young  people  are  bright  and  rollicking, 
healthy  and  hearty,  and  enjoy  life  without  stint.  It  is  books 
like  these  which  inspire  and  encourage  young  people  to  be 
brave  and  true,  manly  and  womanly  in  all  the  relations  of  life. 

For  sale  at  the  bookstores,  or  sent  postpaid,  on  receipt  of  price,  by 
D.  LOTHROP  COMPANY,  Publishers,  Boston,  Mass. 


THE  POT  OF  GOLD. 


OY   7UVKRV   E. 

12mo,  »1.50.    Fully  Illustrated. 

A  new  book  by  Miss  Wilkins  is  an  event  in  literature,  and 
an  announcement  of  the  first  volume  of  her  juvenile  stories 
will  be  welcomed  not  only  by  young  people  but  by  all  who 
have  come  to  love  and  honor  her  for  her  wonderfully  faithful 
pictures  of  New  England  life. 

The  realistic  element  which  is  so  marked  a  feature  of  her 
stories  for  adults  is  blended  with  another  style  of  writing  in 
the  collection  which  makes  up  "  The  Pot  of  Gold."  Hereto- 
fore we  have  seen  Miss  Wilkins  at  her  best  in  her  simple, 
natural  portraitures  of  plain,  bomely  country  folk,  whose  hum- 
ble joys  and  sorrows  she  has  painted  with  wonderful  skill. 
But  there  is  another  side  to  her  nature,  in  which  she  fairly 
revels  in  the  fanciful,  the  humorous  and  the  romantic,  and  de- 
lights in  giving  the  reins  to  her  imagination.  Nothing  can  be 
more  delicious  than  these  flights  of  fancy  and  the  fun  and 
drollery  with  which  they  abound. 

The  last  part  of  the  volume  is  made  up  of  stories  of  child 
life  in  the  olden  days  of  New  England,  and  describes  some  of 
the  customs  of  those  earlier  times,  when  childhood  was  not 
the  paradise  it  now  is.  These  have  the  flavor  of  the  soil,  and 
are  as  quaint  and  old-fashioned  as  the  characters  themselves. 
Many  an  older  reader  will  delight  in  these  quaint,  old-time 
pictures  of  Puritan  days. 

The  book  is  beautifully  gotten  up,  printed  on  superfine 
paper,  with  illustrations  by  W.  L.  Taylor,  Childe  Hassam, 
Barnes,  Bridgman  and  other  popular  artists.  The  binding,  in 
robin's-egg  blue  with  gold  and  silver  design,  is  simply  exquisite. 

***  At  the  bookstores,  or  sent  postpaid  on  receipt  of  price,  by 

D.  LOTHROP  COMPANY,  Boston,  Mass. 


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(A  rranged-  A  Iphabctically. ) 


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Aunt  Hannah,  Martha  and  John 

21. 

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-, 

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J. 

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From  Different  Standpoints 

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33- 

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'4- 

Her  Associate  Members 

34. 

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'5- 

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35- 

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r6. 

1  7. 

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36. 

37- 

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1  8. 

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*39. 
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What  She  Said 

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At  Home  and  Abroad 
Bobby's  Wolf  and  other  Stories 

52 
53- 

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Next  Things 

49. 

Five  Friends 

54- 

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5°- 
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Getting  Ahead 

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Helen  Lester 

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Stories  Told  for  a  Purpose 

Jessie  Wells 

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That  Boy  Bob 

63. 

Mary  Burton  Abroad 

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Two  Boys 

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A  World  of  Little  People 

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Exact  Truth  (The) 
Gertrude's  Diary 

81. 

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75- 

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R.  Alden. 

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Side  by  Side 

76. 
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The  Kaleidoscope 

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UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 

Los  Angeles 
This  book  is  DUE  on  the  last  date  stamped  below. 


|\IQ 


HPR16198? 

fl 

P  1987 


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JAN    41988 


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IfTf 


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UCLA-Young  Research 

PZ7   .S568f   1881b 
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£l  CK 


